


Miraculous Team: Sands of Time

by SonicPossible00



Series: Miraculous Team [6]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akuma Attack, Alternate Universe, Ancient Egypt, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris | Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Egypt, F/F, F/M, Louvre, Multi, Paris (City), Pharaoh - Freeform, mummy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2020-02-26 17:32:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 171,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18721705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonicPossible00/pseuds/SonicPossible00
Summary: Sequel of Miraculous Team: The Collector. After dealing with the Collector, Marinette and her friends hope to relax for a couple of days, but that will not happen, as Hawk Moth has plans to once again conquer Paris. At the same time, Adrien and his father get an unexpected visit, who promises to stirr things up in the Agreste Manor.(AU where everyone in Marinette and Adrien's class has a Miraculous. Numerous relationships MarixAdrien, AlyaxNino, JulekaxRose, ChloexSabrina, KimxAlix, IvanxMylène, etc)





	1. Fire at Notre-Dame

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! I can't believe that we're already on the sixth fanfic of this series… I never wrote a series this long before. I'm even impressed with myself. Still, I don't want to bother you with that. Right now, I just want to tell you that this particular story was planned before "Miraculous Team: The Collector", and it was supposed to be the initial sequel of "Halloween Madness". But the more I thought about it, the more it made me realize that the story that I wanted to tell in this fanfic, deserved to be properly planned, and so, it's only now that I'm going to tell it. We all know that in the series, Adrien's mom did not die, as we initially thought, but is in fact asleep beneath Agreste Manor. Well, that's not going to happen in this story… in my AU, Emily Agreste is dead, dead as a doornail, and she won't be coming back to life. But that doesn't mean she won't play a part in this story, which will focus a little bit on Adrien, and even on Gabriel Agreste. As always, we'll be seeing some really cute moments featuring your favourite ships, mainly MarinettexAdrien, AlyaxNino, ChloexSabrina, KimxAlix, RosexJuleka and IvanxMylene. And now, on with the show!

A few days had passed since the Collector was captured by Miraculous Team and Master Fu, ending his threat. The media never found out about the whole story, and just assumed that it had been another akuma, created by Hawk Moth, who attacked both the city and the Miraculous Heroes. Still, in the end, he was defeated and things went back to normal; or as normal one can expect for the young heroes. It felt good to once again be able to put on their miraculouses and having their kwamis to talk to, without fearing a madman would burst through their houses and kill them, just to obtain them, so he could fulfil his scared mission, which was to create a world, where justice would benefit the righteous and the innocent, and punish those who to his eyes did not even deserve to breathe. If Hawk Moth had one good thing was that he could not feel the energy of the heroes' miraculouses, and as such, could not track them down.

When she arrived home, Alya was bushed. Because of a cold she caught the day before, she had a hard time getting some proper sleep, and that affected her in school. If it had not been for Marinette and Trixx, who helped her stay awake, by talking to her during classes, the brunette would have fallen asleep. Usually, no one thought about Miss Bustier's classes as boring, but on that day, Alya, who was not a big fan of science, almost fell asleep, while she talked about the circulatory system in Science class, due to the cold, but also due to her lack of interest in the subject.

Opening the door, she saw that there was no one at home. Her parents were both working and would not be back until dinner time, Nora had gone to train, and the twins were spending the rest of the day and the night at school, as part of an activity that was being organized by the teachers. So that meant she had the house all to herself. Closing the door behind her, she dropped her backpack and went straight to the living room, where she sat on her favourite couch. Trixx, her kwami, quickly got out of the girl's backpack and flew over to where she was.

"You really are in a lousy shape, girl." -Trixx said.

"Tell me about it…" -Alya sighed. –"You know what's the worst part?" -she asked her kwami. –"It's that I have a tremendous headache and I can hardly breathe through my nose."

"Maybe a tea is in order?" -Trixx suggested her.

"Right now, I won't say no to one." -Alya said. She had never been a tea person, because she had always felt that tea was just hot water. But ever since she had met Master Fu and became part of the Miraculous Team, that she had grown to enjoy a nice cup of tea. –"You know where my mom keeps the tea. Do you mind making me some?" -she asked the fox kwami.

"Leave it to me. I know my way around the kitchen." -Trixx said as she dashed towards the kitchen. –"What are you in the mood for? Chamomile, oolong, lemon?" -she asked Alya.

"Not really sure… just get me something that helps me with my headache, as well as with this cold. I'm literally freezing." -Alya told her. Right then, she just wanted that headache to stop. Going to her room, she grabbed a jacket and put it on, hoping this would make her feel a bit warmer.

"Alright, I'll see what I can find." -Trixx said, as she opened the cupboard, looking for the right kind of tea. –"Now, what should I give her? I mean, I don't know if any of these here can cure a headache." -she thought to herself, as she read the labels on every box of tea. –"Let's see, black tea, oolong, white tee, green tea, chai tea, chamomile, lemon, hibiscus, raspberry, rooibos… come on, which should I choose?"

While she waited for Trixx to come back with her cup of tea, Alya decided to lay down on the couch, hoping this would help her out. Closing her eyes, she tried to abstract herself from everything else. But it did not take her more than ten seconds to realize that was not going to work out for her. Her headache was killing her, and she just wanted it to go away. Opening her eyes, she got up from the couch and started walking around the living room. Her mother had once told her that the best way for one to get rid of a headache was to walk around, until this one disappeared. Wanting this headache to disappear, Alya was willing to do anything for it to disappear, even walking in circles around the living room. Unfortunately, after a minute or two, the headache had not disappeared or diminished. And to make matters worse, even with the jacket she had put on, she was feeling colder than ever, and it was getting harder for her to breathe through her nose. Thinking, she remembered there was some Vicks in the twins' bedroom, from when Ella was sick a few weeks earlier. Going to her sisters' bedroom, she found it on top of their cabinet, along with several of their toys. As she grabbed it and readied herself to apply it to her nostrils, she noticed a piece of paper that was under a few toys that caught her attention. Pushing the toys away, she saw that the piece of paper was not just an ordinary piece of paper, but rather a drawing done by Ella and Etta. It was a drawing of one of the Miraculous Heroes, Rena Rouge. It had been done with crayons and it depicted Rena Rouge fighting a huge monster. Seeing this, Alya could not help but to smile.

" _If they knew that their big sister is Rena Rouge… they wouldn't be able to keep it a secret._ " -Alya thought to herself, smiling.

"Here you have, Alya. A nice cup of tea, girl." -Trixx said, as she entered the room, carefully bringing her the steaming cup.

"Thanks, Trixx." -Alya said, as she grabbed the cup, relieving Trixx, who had to use most of her strength to carry it.

"It's hibiscus tea." -Trixx warned her. –"So, what are you doing in the little monsters room?" -she asked her. Trixx's relationship with Ella and Etta was not the best in the world, mostly because whenever they were around, the fox kwami was forced to pretend she is a stuffed doll, and that lead to them fighting to see who got to play with her, which involved them pulling her ears and tail.

"Oh, don't call them that." -Alya giggled.

"I'll call those little monsters, whatever I want, Alya!" -Trixx exclaimed. –"Ever since I met you and came to this house, that I've been the victim of those two little monsters!" -she went on. –"Just from looking myself in the mirror, I know my ears are at least two millimetres longer than they were, thanks to your sisters, who spend their time pulling them and my tail, to see who gets to play with me! Speaking of which, I don't even want to know just how much my tail grew thanks to them!"

"Don't you think you're overreacting just a little bit?" -Alya asked her, as she sipped form the cup.

"No, I'm not!" -Trixx yelled.

"Okay, okay, just don't yell like that… remember, I have a headache." -Alya told her.

"Sorry, I forgot." -Trixx apologized to her. –"It's just that… your sisters have the ability to make me mad."

"Well, that's Ella and Etta for you. Besides, that would not happen if you did manage to hide faster, when one of them enters in my room, without knocking." -Alya told her, as she sipped a little bit more of tea from the cup.

"Or maybe, you and your parents, along with your older sister, could teach them to knock before entering." -Trixx suggested her.

"Perhaps." -Alya said. –"Mmm, this tea's really good. I'm feeling a little bit warmer already." -she admitted.

"Why don't you go to your room and try to take a nap. You don't have any homework to do today." -Trixx suggested her, as the two exited the twins' room. –"There's nothing like a good nap to help you get better from a cold."

"I don't know. I mean, I'm exhausted, but I don't think I'm exhausted enough to take a nap right now." -Alya admitted. The idea of taking a nap had crossed her mind in the last couple of minutes, but she quickly discarded it. –"Maybe I'll just watch some television, until my headache gets better, or the very least, until I feel a little bit warmer." -she said.

"You're having a headache, and you're going to watch television, girl? That's not what one should do, when having one. At least, that's what I read online."

"Yeah, well, it's mostly the noise that's making my head hurt. If I turn off the sound, I'll be fine." -Alya told her.

Sating on the couch, she turned on the television and did just that. It felt a little weird to watch television without sound, but Alya did not mind. She just wanted for her headache to go away, and if watching television helped, even better. As for Trixx, she left the brunette, heading back to the kitchen to see if she could find any snacks. She had eaten a cheese and jam sandwich at lunch, but she was already hungry, and was in the mood for something crunchy. Checking the cupboards, she found exactly what she was looking for, a delicious cereal bar.

"Now this is talking about." -Trixx smiled, as she grabbed delicious treat. –"Those twins might be little monsters, but they're monsters who have excellent taste, when it comes to cereal bars." -she said, as she tried to open the wrapper, struggling with it. –"Come on, you dang thing, open!"

At the same time, Alya was flipping through the channels, hoping to catch something that was interesting, when suddenly, something called her attention. At first, she thought it was a movie or a television series, but it did not take her more than a second or two to realize it was not one thing, or another. It was the news channel, and what was going on was real… Notre-Dame was in flames. At the bar on the bottom of the screen one could read "Notre-Dame in Flames."

"Trixx!" -Alya called out her kwami.

"W-What is it?!" -Trixx said, as she came from the kitchen, holding the cereal bar in her hands. She had been trying to open it, but that was proving to be a challenge for her. –"What's wrong?!"

"We've got trouble!" -Alya exclaimed.

"Hawk Moth?!" -the fox kwami asked the brunette.

"No, I don't think so… I think it's just a fire. Still, we have to do something. Notre-Dame is on fire." -Alya answered her.

Looking at the images of the cathedral, one could see some flames coming from the cathedral's spire, and a lot of smoke. One could only hypothesize that the fire had begun somewhere inside the roof framing, which was under renovation, like certain other parts of the building. The news reporter added that there were no indications that that was an akuma attack or a terrorist attack. As they both watched the television, they saw several fire trucks arriving at the scene, while the police, who had arrived a few minutes earlier, was busy setting up the perimeter, as well as making sure that the cathedral was evacuated.

"Still, even if it's not akuma, a fire in a place like that could be very bad." -Alya said, as she got up. –"Notre-Dame is one of the city's most emblematic landmarks. We can't just let it burn to the ground. Let's go, Trixx." -she declared, as she turned off the television.

"Are you sure? You're not exactly in shape to go fight that fire. Not with that cold of yours and with that headache!" -Trixx warned her.

"I don't care. I've got to go." -Alya told her kwami. –"It's like Miss Bustier once said, "We may not want to do certain things, but we must, because no one will do it for us.", you know?" -she remembered the words her teacher had told her and her class.

"But I'm sure you're not the only who watched this happening. The others can take care of this." -Trixx told her. She was worried that Alya's cold would affect her acting, when arriving at the scene, and felt that she should stay home and rest. –"They won't judge you for not going and staying home resting, you know that."

The truth was a part of her, was really considering staying home, resting, while the rest of the team handled things. After all, one of the good things of having fourteen superheroes that were always ready to fight whatever menace showed up in Paris, was that if one or two of them could not show up, there was still a pretty significant number of them to handle things. Still, something inside of her refused to stay home, while the others handled the fire. Alya did not know if it was stubbornness or pride, but whatever it was, it was telling her to ignore her cold and every pain she was in.

"I can't, Trixx. It's my responsibility. Besides, it's not like I have a broken arm or a foot that prevents me from moving. It's just a cold and a headache." -Alya told her. –"Plus, the more we are, the easier it will be for us to put out the fire and help the firefighters and anyone who could still be inside the cathedral." -she said.

"Alright, let's go." -Trixx sighed. She knew better than to try to demote her from doing something she had set her mind to. –"Just say the words."

"Trixx, transforme moi!" -Alya exclaimed.

In a heartbeat, Alya transformed into her superhero alter-ego, Rena Rouge and was ready to save the day. Now transformed, she felt a little better from her cold and her headache felt a little better. Plus, she could now breathe through her nose. Taking a deep breath, she felt so much better, now that she could breathe through her nose.

" _I should have just transformed as soon as I got out of the school. I feel so much better._ " -Rena Rouge thought to herself. –"But now is not the time to think about that. We've got a fire to put out and a cathedral to save." -she said, as she slid the door to the balcony open, and readied herself to jump down below.

* * *

Just like Trixx had told the fox heroine, they had not been the only ones watching the news. Most of the Miraculous Team also found out about what was happening, either by watching it on the television or on social media, or by being near the cathedral at the time. Juleka was one of the members of the team, who happened to be near Notre-Dame at the time. Because she had promised Rose, she would meet her after her ballet class was over, the Goth had some time to kill, and she decided to spend it by going to the houseboat her mom used as her art studio, which was located in the Seine, near Ile de la Cité. Though that houseboat served as her mom's art studio, Juleka and her brother, Luka, also used it to practice their music, or to just simply catch some sunlight, when the weather allowed it; and on that day, the Sun and its warm light felt nice, as if Spring had arrived a little bit earlier.

She, along with her kwami Tamara, were lying on the deck, checking some songs Juleka had downloaded the night before. The raven kwami was incredibly shy, just like it happened with her holder. But that was not the only thing they shared with each other. Their taste for music was practically the same.

"What's this band's name again?" -Tamara asked Juleka, as the girl put on a pair of sunglasses, she had brought with her. The sun was beginning to get too bright for her eyes.

"Panic! At the Disco." -Juleka answered her. –"This song of theirs is really catchy, isn't it?" -she asked the kwami.

"It is." -Tamara agreed. –"But I think I prefer the previous one from Fall Out Boy." -Tamara told her.

The two went on with that casual conversation for a few more minutes, when they began to smell something burnt. At first, they both wondered if someone nearby was burning leaves or something. But then, they heard sirens, which spiked their attention. Looking around to see if they could see any signs of fire, they noticed a large column of smoke coming from near Notre-Dame.

"I wonder…"

"What, Juleka?" -Tamara asked her.

"I don't know, Tamara. But maybe we should investigate." -Juleka told her kwami.

"If you think we should, then maybe we should. One must never ignore its instincts." -Tamara said.

"You're right. I guess it's time for me to change into something more appropriate." -Juleka declared, as she grabbed her cell and headed inside the boathouse, followed by Tamara.

Once inside the boathouse, where no one could see her, Juleka transformed into Corbeau Noire, willing to find out where the smoke was coming from. But of course, she knew she could not exit through the same way she had entered, fearing someone would see her. Instead, she decided to use one of the portholes, which she knew were big enough to get out, that was on the port side of the boathouse to exit incognito. Opening it, she exited the boathouse, and using her flying abilities, she dashed towards Ile de la Cité. Looking down, she noticed the fire trucks speeding through the various streets, heading towards Notre-Dame, where the smoke was rising from. The police also looked busy, trying to evacuate the island, to prevent civilian casualties. You could not say that Paris' finest were not doing their job. Built in the 12th century, with its works carrying up until the end of the first half of the 14th century, Notre-Dame Cathedral was known for being the most beautiful example of Gothic architecture in the world, as well as the most famous example of the French Gothic. Over the years, the building had seen the rise and fall of kings and emperors. But like everything else, time had not been kind to the cathedral, which fell into a state of disrepair by the time of the end of the Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the 19th century. At the time, some officials even considered demolishing it. But thanks to Victor Hugo, who admired the cathedral with all his heart, and his famous novel, the Hunchback of Notre-Dame, managed to create awareness to the cathedral's decaying state, and thus save it. But now, a fire threatened the legacy of the noble writer, who had done the impossible in his lifetime, as well as the legacy of an entire country to the world.

" _Oh no… please let it not be an akuma this time._ " -Corbeau Noire thought to herself, as she dashed towards the cathedral. The closer she got to it, the more intense and unmistakable stench of burnt things became. And to her horror, that smoke was coming from the cathedral's roof, accompanied by some flames.

As she was passing by the towers on the west façade, making her way towards the ground to see if she could find out what was going on, she noticed a yellow and black figure in the sky, approaching her. Looking at it, she saw that it was none other than Queen Bee, who had also caught wind of what was going on, and had decided to investigate it further.

"Hey! Do you know what's going on?" -Corbeau Noire asked Queen Bee, as the bee heroine stopped in front of her. –"I saw the smoke coming from this direction, and I decided to investigate." -she told the blonde.

"They were saying on television that there was a fire." -Queen Bee answered her.

"So, it isn't an akuma attack?" -Corbeau Noire asked her.

"I don't know about that. They didn't say a thing about the possibility of this being an akuma attack or a terrorist attack." -Queen Bee declared. –"Still, let's keep our eyes and ears open." -she said.

"Agreed." -Corbeau Noire said. –"Where's Sabrina?" -she asked.

"She's on her way here. What about Rose? It's not like you to show up alone by yourself." -Queen Bee asked, pointing out that fact.

"Ballet class. I don't know if she'll come. But even if she doesn't come, I think we won't need the whole team to take care of this… assuming it's not an akuma, who's causing this." -Corbeau Noire said.

"Let's really hope it's not an akuma. I'm still not fully recovered from our last encounter with the Collector." -Queen Bee commented, as they made their way down.

As they landed in front of the west façade where the police and the firefighters were busy, they spotted yet two more members of their team approaching, Ladybug and Dragonfly. Jumping over the police barricades, the two girls joined Corbeau Noire and Queen Bee, who had just landed in front of the cathedral.

"And here I thought we were going to be the first ones to arrive." –Dragonfly declared, as she landed.

"Is it just the two of you?" -Ladybug asked them, not seeing anyone else of the team around.

"So far, yeah. But Louve Grise is on her way here and… oh, here she comes!" -Queen Bee said, as she saw her best friend running towards them.

The wolf heroine had gone to the police precinct where her dad worked to visit him after school, but when she got there, she hardly got to say "hello" to him, when he and pretty much everyone else in the precinct was called to head towards Ile de la Cité, to help evacuating it. Kissing his daughter goodbye and telling her that he would try to be home by dinner time, Lt. Roger Raincomprix made his way to the precinct's garage. Not knowing what was really going on, Sabrina exited the precinct and found a quiet place to transform into Louve Grise, so she could find out. From talking so often with her dad, the redhead knew that the only times the police were called like that was when there was a bomb threat, a terrorist threat, some serious accident, or when there was an akuma attacking the city. Tagging along with the police, she hopped on top of one of the police vehicles to catch a ride. As they headed to the island, she began noticing the dark smoke in the sky, as well as the unmistakable smell of burnt things. And once they arrived to the island, Louve Grise saw what so many others had already seen in person, or through the various media. Notre-Dame was on fire. Passing by the blockade the police had assembled to prevent anyone from entering the island, the wolf heroine could not help but to be photographed by the reporters covering the incident, and who had been prevented from passing from that blockade. As soon as the police car stopped, she jumped from it and headed into the square in front of the cathedral, where some of her friends were already. The firefighters and the police had noticed the presence of the heroes, but were too busy, trying to save the cathedral to even care.

"Hope I'm not late." -Louve Grise said, as she joined the others.

"You're just in time." -Ladybug said. –"And we got four more to help out, look!"

On her way to the scene of the action, Rena Rouge ran into her boyfriend, Carapace, Antelope and Arachnid. The three of them were going to a new videogame store Max had found a few weeks before, when they saw some fire trucks passing by them at full speed. Fearing something was wrong, Max quickly went for his cell phone and checked online if something was going on. It did not take him more than a few seconds to read one of the multiple news articles, saying that there was a fire at Notre-Dame. Fearing an akuma might be behind it, they found a quiet spot and transformed into their hero identities. They were halfway to Notre-Dame, when Arachnid spotted Rena Rouge, running on top of a nearby building. Warning the others, the three heroes quickly caught up with her. Seeing them, the fox heroine was happy to see that she had not been the only one who saw that something was up.

A few minutes later, arriving at the Ile de la Cité, the four heroes quickly spotted Ladybug and the others, and rushed to where they were.

"Guess we all arrived almost at the same time." -Rena Rouge said.

"Do you think anyone else is coming?" -Carapace asked Ladybug.

"I don't know. But for the time being, we're enough to deal with this." -Ladybug declared. –"From what I can see, I don't think we're dealing with an akuma here, which means, it's probably just a fire. Still, we have to do something to stop it." -the scarlet heroine said. –"Does anyone know see the chief of firefighters?"

Ladybug had seen enough television series with firefighters as protagonists to know that in cases like that, the person they should ask for intel on the situation was the chief of firefighters. She knew their fighting skills were not going to be of any use in that fire, but she also knew that their acrobatic skills and their strength could be invaluable when fighting that fire. Locating him, she, along with the rest of the heroes that had showed up, approached him as he was giving orders to his men through his walkie-talkie.

"Excuse us, chief. Sorry to interrupt, but can you tell us, what's the situation?" -Ladybug asked him. –"We'd like to help, if possible." -she declared politely.

Turning around, the chief was a bit surprised to see them, still he did not show it. He quickly informed them that everyone who was inside the building when the fire started had been evacuated. He also told them that the fire had begun on the roof, near the cathedral's spire and because of the quantity of flammable materials they were using in the restoration of the area, there was the danger of this one spreading out of control.

"My men have managed to get most of the flammable materials from the area before they caught fire, but some of the tarpaulins that had been set to protect certain parts of the roof's galleries, as well as some cannisters of paint and varnish had already caught fire when they arrived." -the chief told them.

"How can we help?" -Ladybug asked him.

"Well, if any of you could help my men inside fighting the fire or getting some of the artworks and statues outside, before they are damaged, that would be a great help. We must try to salvage as much as possible, in case the fire gets out of control." -the chief declared.

Hearing him say that, Ladybug knew that they would not need to worry about with damages done to the artworks r the cathedral, because they could use the Ampulla Amulet to get everything back to the way it was. What was important was to make sure that none of the firefighters or police officers got hurt in the process. Still, she was not going to argue about it, and instead, she was going to follow the chief's orders as closely as she could.

"We could also use a little help pointing the hoses up there. There are more of us on our way, but they're going to take a little to arrive. We need to make sure that the fire stays contained to that part of the building. Because if it starts spreading, it could the bell towers as well as the vaulted interior could get damaged." -he warned them.

"If everyone's been evacuated, we only need to worry about putting out the fire, got it. Tell your men that we're going to assist them, chief." -Ladybug smiled to him.

Turning her attention to her friends, Ladybug knew she had to come up with a plan of action and fast. Luckily, she was used to coming up with plans rather quickly, if the situation demanded, and right then, it demanded that she could conjure one as formidable as possible. Notre-Dame was counting on them, as well as the firefighters to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible.

"Okay, let's see. We need to split up." -Ladybug said, as she looked and see who was present. She needed to make sure each member of the team was assigned to a specific mission that allowed them to make the most of their special abilities. –"Alright, Carapace, you go and help the firefighters on the north side with your shields, in case some debris starts to fall. Queen Bee, take Louve Grise up to the roof and find a way for her to get inside the wooden roof. Once inside, use your ice breath to put out the flames." -she told the wolf heroine. –"Remember, don't be afraid to break a couple of things while you're inside, if that means helping someone out of a tight spot."

"Understood." -Louve Grise told her.

"Antelope and Dragonfly, you are the fastest of us all. Get in there and try to bring every last piece of art you can see out of there. And while you're at it, if they need, help clear a path for the firefighters."

"Will do." -Antelope said.

"Arachnid? I need you to climb up to the roof and make sure that the spire doesn't fall, and if possible, try to prevent the fire from spreading." –Ladybug told him.

"You can count on me." -Arachnid said.

"What about the rest of us?" -Rena Rouge asked her.

"The rest of us are going to help out the firefighters." -Ladybug answered her. –"Between carrying the hoses, making sure the fire is under control, and helping out the firefighters and the paramedics, we've got a lot to do." -she said, as she saw three ambulances arriving, along with a few more fire trucks.

* * *

Following Ladybug's orders, Queen Been grabbed Louve Grise by the arms and carried her to the roof of the cathedral. Looking for a place where she could land, Queen Bee had to be careful, because the flames were starting to come out of the lead roof, which was most likely boiling hot, and the last thing she needed was for her best-friend to hurt herself. As they did this, a few fire trucks were parked alongside the south façade of the cathedral. They were going to try and sprinkle the building to prevent the marble from opening cracks due to the heat.

"I'm going to drop you near that arch, where there aren't any flames." -Queen Bee warned Louve Grise.

"Okay. What about you?" -Louve Grise asked her.

"I think I'm going to make use of my powers and try to bring some of the river's water up here to cool things down a bit." -Queen Bee told her. –"Ready?"

"Ready! Drop me!"

Dropping her on top of the stone arch, the bee heroine quickly flew to the river with the intention of bringing some water to help cool down the building. Thinking on how best she could use her powers to carry the river's water to the cathedral, she came up with a great idea. Throwing her trompo into the water, she then used it to create a whirlpool. Once it reached the speed she wanted, she ordered the trompo to come back to her, and by doing this, she created a water tornado, which she had to a good amount of her power to keep it stable, so as to transport the water. Her plan was to drop the water over the roof. Still, she knew that if she dropped it from too high a height, the water would evaporate before reaching the flames, and if she dropped from a height too low, the weight of the water would endanger the structure.

" _Come on, come on! It can't be too high or too low!_ " -Queen Bee thought to herself, as she did her best to keep the height of her water tornado. –" _If I drop it too high, none of the water will reach its target. And I drop it too low, the roof and the ceiling might collapse. Focus, Chloe!_ " -she kept musing to herself.

At the same time, Louve Grise looked for a safe place where she could punch a hole on the roof, without getting burned. Once she did this, she then used her hands to make it wide enough for her to go through and entered. Inside, she saw that what awaited her was the closest thing to a fiery Hell. Looking around, the only things she could see were flames and smoke, which were making it hard for her to see more than a couple of feet in front of her nose. Still, amongst the cacophony of noises she could hear, one stood out from the others… human voices. She knew it had to be the firefighters, which had entered to extinguish that fire. Determined to join them, she began to use her ice breath on everything that was aflame. As soon as she began to freeze the flames, steam began to build up, making it difficult for her to see where she was going. Having no other option, she used her fans to cut break one of the centuries-old windows to let the steam and the smoke out.

" _Thank God we have Ampulla Amulet insurance for this sort of thing._ " -Louve Grise thought to herself, as she continued walking straight, while using her ice breath on the flames.

* * *

While this went on the roof, inside the cathedral's cloister, Antelope and Dragonfly were busy helping out getting all the works of art, statues and relics from the cathedral. A large human chain of firefighters, emergency workers and civil servants was doing its best to get every last work of art to safety. The smoke from upstairs was starting to come be visible down in the cloister and that forced some of the workers and firefighters to exit the building for a couple of minutes to prevent health problems from breathing all that smoke. Luckily, the two heroes' speed and strength were proving a godsend in that situation, as it allowed them to not only carry larger works to the outside easily.

"Okay, here's another one." -Dragonfly said, as she handed a large painting to one of the firefighters, who was making sure every single object that was extracted from the building was placed somewhere, where there was no chance of it ended up damaged.

"Come on! And you call yourself fast?!" -Antelope said, as he arrived next to her, carrying a large marble statue from one of the Apostles, placing it carefully on the ground. –"I already managed to get most of the marble statues outside, while you managed to get out a couple of paintings."

"They were very large paintings, and this isn't a competition, you know?" -Dragonfly told him.

"It is for me." -Antelope shot at her, with a grin on his face. –"You know I treat everything in a mission like a competition, and… hey where are you going?!"

"Inside, of course. There are tons of things that need to be brought outside, and they aren't going to grow a pair of legs and walk, you know?" -Dragonfly commented in a sarcastic tone. –"Instead of exercising your mouth, you should be exercising your legs!" -she went on with the sarcasm.

"Oh yeah?! I'll show you! I'm going to get more things out of that place in a minute, than you will in an hour!" -Antelope said as he sprinted inside the cathedral, determined to show his partner that he was the best of the two. –"Just you wait!"

* * *

As the two speedsters competed to see who was able to get more things out of the cathedral, Ladybug, Rena Rouge and Corbeau Noire were busy helping the firefighters, by carrying the hoses as high as they could, and using them to put out small streaks of fire that fell from the roof.

"Okay, let's do this!" -Ladybug told her friends. They had been shown by the firefighters how to operate the hoses and were about to use them. –"Aim for the flames!"

When she was younger, Ladybug, like all kids had imagined how it would be to work as a firefighter. To her, there was just something amazing about being a firefighter, when she thought about it. They had the coolest vehicles, the outfits that protected them from the fire, the firehouses where they hang out, whenever there was not a fire or an emergency, and last but not least, they had the coolest dalmatian dogs. Before she even thought about becoming a fashion designer, the scarlet heroine, in her naïve mind, wanted to become a firefighter. Of course, growing up, she decided that she did not want to be a firefighter. But now, as she held that hose, part of that silly dream came back to her mind, and she felt like the little girl who dreamed about becoming a firefighter.

"Maybe we should try and get up on the truck?" -Rena Rouge asked Ladybug.

"I don't see why not. But remember, be careful with the hose." -she answered.

As Rena Rouge and Ladybug took care of the flames that fell from the rooftop, Corbeau Noire flew upward, stretching the hose as much as it was possible and began fighting the flames that were beginning to show up at the base of the spire. Arachnid had set his lasso around the spire and was about to wrap it around one of the arches. Still, if the flames kept raging the way they were, the spire would eventually be consumed and fall on top of the roof, damaging it and endangering whoever was inside.

"Need a little help?" -Corbeau Noire said, as she put out some of the flames with the fire hose.

"A little water never hurt anyone." -Arachnid said. –"But I think a certain busy bee is on the job." -he pointed out.

Above their heads the massive water tornado that Queen Bee had created by sucking the water out of the Seine, made its way to the top of the cathedral's roof. Her goal was to drop the water on the roof, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that if she dropped that amount of water on the roof, everyone that was inside would be steamed alive, including Louve Grise. So instead of dropping it all at once, she did her best to make the tornado rain the water on the cathedral. She had never tried anything like it before and knew that trying a trick like that was dangerous, but still, she believed in herself and went for it.

" _Okay, here goes nothing._ " -Queen Bee thought to herself.

Focusing as hard as she could, the bee heroine made it rain on the cathedral, which put out every visible flame, as well as decreasing the roof's temperature. Carapace, who had been a little busy creating energy shields to protect the firefighters from any debris that might come down on them, decided to lend a hand to both Arachnid and Corbeau Noire, creating an energy shield above their heads, so they would not get soaking wet. On the inside, Louve Grise had managed to get to where one of the teams of firefighters was fighting the flames. Lending them a hand, she froze the flames around them, allowing them

"Are you sure you don't want me to freeze the floor as well?" -Louve Grise asked. She was beginning to feel a little exhausted from using her power almost continuously, still, if given a couple of minutes to rest, she could keep doing that for another hour or two.

"It's best if you don't. This is a wooden floor and if frozen, it could break." -one of the firefighters said.

"Alright. You guys are the experts." -the wolf heroine said, as she made her fans appear on her hands.

"But, if you wouldn't mind, we could use some of that ice breath of your over there. We're supposed to meet the other teams at the middle of this place, but the fire is raging to wild." -one of the firefighters said, as he kept dousing the flames.

"Leave it to me. Just keep your hoses on the flames, and leave the rest to me." -Louve Grise said, coughing a little due to the smoke in the air. –" _At this rate, I think we might be able to extinguish the fire around here in maybe 30 minutes._ " -she thought to herself. –" _And it's not that I'm complaining or anything, but if Nathaniel was here, he would have probably put out all these flames with something he would draw and then bring to life. What I wouldn't give to have him or his powers, right now._ "

* * *

And she was not the only one wishing to have the same powers as Panda Rouge, or that he would show up to help out. Dragonfly and Antelope too were hoping for him to show up. Having managed to take out every single piece of art from inside the cathedral, the two were taking a small break, while also breathing through an oxygen mask, after two paramedics insisted, they should do it, so as to avoid any injuries from smoke inhalation. Neither one of them knew if their powers prevented them from getting sick from smoke inhalation, but they were not in the mood to find out, so they did as they were told. Sating on the back of an ambulance, breathing through a mask, they saw as Queen Bee made it rain on top of the cathedral's roof, thanks to her water tornado.

"You could say that's a refreshing shower right there." -Antelope said, which made Dragonfly roll her eyes on him.

"That is probably the dumbest joke you have ever said." –Dragonfly told him. –"You know what it would be great? If Panda Rouge showed up." -she said.

"I agree." -Antelope said. –"Not that I'm saying that we can't all take care of this, but if we had him here, we would take care of this a lot faster." -he declared.

"There's still time for him to show up."-Dragonfly said, as she watched a lot of firefighters running into the cathedral. –"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" -she asked Antelope.

"I definitely am." -Antelope said, as he took off the oxygen mask. –"Something must be happening inside. I'm not liking it."

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go! Recess is over, man." -Dragonfly told him, as she got up and with a well-placed jump, took it to the air.

* * *

Inside the roof, things got a little more complicated, when the fire made one of the sections of the roof collapse. Luckily, no one was hurt due to Louve Grise who managed to protect everyone that was near her, by creating an ice barrier to shield them from the flames. The collapse of the roof felt almost as if a bomb had gone off, making everyone who happened to be near the place to fall on their back.

"Is everyone alright?!" -Louve Grise asked the group of firefighters that was with her, as she got up.

"Y-Yes." -one of the firefighters said, as he helped one of his colleagues get back up.

"If it wasn't for you, we would have ended up roasted." -another firefighter said.

"Thanks. But this is getting a little too dangerous. I don't want to tell you how to do your job, but maybe you should get out of here and leave this to me." -Louve Grise told the firefighters. She did not know just how long they were there, but if she was feeling exhausted and almost breathless from the heat, the smoke and the steam, and she was a superhero with superhuman abilities, strength, speed, agility and stamina, she could only imagine how they were feeling.

"Maybe we can give you a hand?"

The voices made everyone turn around to see none other than Dragonfly and Antelope, standing behind them. Seeing them, the wolf heroine felt relieved to know that backup had arrived, and not a minute too soon. But Dragonfly and Antelope were not the only heroes who came to see if she was alright. A few seconds later, Ladybug, Rena Rouge and Carapace also showed up, ready to give her a hand. Even with all the smoke in the air, making it hard for them to see anything, seeing her friends there to help her out, was perhaps the most beautiful sight she had seen in the last couple of minutes.

"Gentlemen, leave this to us." -Ladybug said. –"Don't worry about your fellow firefighters on the other side. Dragonfly picked them up and they are safe downstairs." -she declared.

"And if you will allow me, I will get you outside." -Dragonfly declared with a smile.

"B-But this is our job…"

"Which you have done admirably, and we thank you for that." -Ladybug told them with a smile. –"But you also deserve a little rest. If things start to get worst, we're counting on you to come back and help us out." -she declared.

The brave group of firefighters did not want to leave the heroes to fight the fire, when that was their job. But they realized that they had needed to rest for a bit. One of the downs of their profession was that they could not keep doing it for long periods of time, thus risking their own well-being and safety.

"Very well. We'll go, but we're sending another team to help you out. Like I said, it's our job to fight this fire." -the lead firefighter said, as he handed the fire hose to Rena Rouge.

"Okay, we'll be waiting for them!" -Dragonfly said. –"And if there are no objections, let's get you all out of here." -she declared.

With swift moves, one by one, Dragonfly took every last firefighter outside, leaving the team alone to face the blazing Hell that stood in front of them. Still, they knew that it would only be a matter of minutes before another team of firefighters arrived to relieve the one Dragonfly, so if they wanted to do something, without ricking anyone getting hurt, that was the time. To shield them from the heat and the smoke, Carapace created an energy bubble around them, which he opened a few second slater, to let Dragonfly in. The bubble did not do much when it came to keep the heat away, but at the very least, they did not have to breathe the smoke and the noxious gases that were accumulating in the air.

"So, where's Chloe, Juleka and Max?" -Louve Grise asked her friends.

"They stayed outside, in case the fire starts to break through the ceiling, like it did now." -Rena Rouge told her, still holding the fire hose, which she had closed, so she could talk with the team.

"And how are things looking from outside." -Louve Grise asked. She had lost track of how long it had been, since she had entered in that place, and so, wondered if they had managed to keep things controlled outside.

"Not as bad as in here, that's for sure." -Antelope said.

"But don't worry. We can handle this, together." -Ladybug told the wolf heroine. –"We just need to find a way to put out all this fire at once." -she said, as she looked at the fiery challenge they had in front of them.


	2. Career Day and Photoshoot

It was a tough battle. A battle against time. But in the end, everything turned out for the best. When the last flame was put out, thus ending the threat, the Miraculous Heroes let out a sigh of relief. The fire, which endangered the whole cathedral of Notre-Dame, was put out thanks to the combined efforts of Ladybug and her companions and the valiant firefighters, who risked their life to do it. And once the danger was over Ladybug used the Ampulla Amulet to reverse time and put everything as it was. Everything that had burned down in the cathedral went back to the way it was before the fire. Every sculpture, relic and piece of art that was taken to the outside by Antelope and Dragonfly, as well as everything else that had been carried out by the firefighters was returned to its original place. One could even say that if it was not for all the fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles parked in front or near the cathedral, as well as the huge number of reporters and bystanders that had been watching the whole thing, no one would never suspect that that fire had ever happened in the first place.

As the nine heroes gathered by the cathedral's entrance, they were applauded by everyone present. But the heroes, being as humble as they were, made a point to tell everyone that the real heroes, the ones who deserved all of the applauses were the firefighters, the police officers, the paramedics and everyone else who did their best to save the cathedral, before they arrived.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." -Queen Bee said, as she waved at the crowd. –"But, I think I speak for us all, when I say that we can't accept these applauses. Or, at the very least, not all of them." -she went on, smiling. –"The real heroes are the brave firefighters, as well as the amazing police officers, and everyone else who did their best to prevent this from turning into a disaster, with only their courage, their wits and their determination to help them."

"She's right. They are the real heroes." -Arachnid agreed.

"We may have superpowers, but these guys here, they're the real heroes. They, who don't have any kind of powers, went inside to fight those flames and risked their lives to save this cathedral." -Ladybug declared.

"And we're just happy to have been able to help out." -Queen Bee said.

After these words, another wave of applause was heard, this time for the firefighters, the police officers, the paramedics and everyone else who helped to save the cathedral, who rightfully deserved them. When the applauses finally stopped, Ladybug and the others were approached by the chief of firefighters.

"Those were some pretty inspiring words." -the chief told them. –"In the name of the whole Firefighter Corp, I thank you for your help today. The truth is, if it was not for you and your help, the cathedral might not have survived, and a piece of the History of this city and of this country, would have been lost forever." -he declared.

Deep down, they knew the chief was right. If it had not been for them, their powers and the Ampulla Amulet, the cathedral would have most likely burned to the ground, or at least, most of it would have been lost, before anyone could do anything. Still, once more, their humility did not allow them to take full credit for what had happened. Of course, they had done the hard part, but that did not mean they had not had help.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean that we could have done it, without your help." -Ladybug smiled at the chief. –"Let's just agree that without our combined efforts, all of this would have certainly had a very different outcome." -she went on smiling.

Then came the part where the heroes both loved and hated about… the press. Ever since they began saving Paris that every journalist and photographer in Paris made its mission to get a few words from them, as well as all the photos they could snap of them. Ladybug and the rest of her team did love to be pampered like this by the press, from time to time. Right then, they were a bit exhausted and just wanted to get out of there. But because during the Collector incident they never gave an interview to explain what had happened, now they felt the obligation to not keep everyone in the dark. Still, they had previously agreed that if any journalist or blogger asked them anything regarding the Collector, they would talk as little about it, as possible. Allowing the reporters to approach them, they answered as many questions as possible, while also keeping an eye on the time.

"Tell us, how does it feel to once again save the city, and in this case, one of its most famous landmarks?"

"In one expression, pretty good." -Antelope said, smiling confidently.

"Is there a reason why the whole team didn't show up?"

"Let's just say they had somewhere else to be today." -Ladybug declared.

"Could you tell us more about what happened last week in Pere-Lachaise?"

"There's not much to say. It was yet another akuma, and we defeated it." -Dragonfly told the man.

"Then, why is it that we did not see the victim after? And why did you disappear right after the battle?"

"The victim asked us not to expose its identity and we did just that. As for why we disappeared, sorry, but that is absolutely personal, I'm afraid." -Rena Rouge declared.

"Yes, even we superheroes do need our privacy." -Queen Bee added. –"We hope you all understand."

Even after the bee heroine said that, the reporters insisted on the matter, demanding to know what they were hiding. When the questions began to amount, Ladybug signalled the others it was time for them to get out of there. Spreading out, they each went in a different direction, as the reporters kept trying to ask them questions.

"These guys are like vultures." -Rena Rouge said. –"I know they're just doing their job, but as a future journalist myself, I can't understand how they can continue to ask a question, after someone has said they do not want to answer it." -she sighed, as she headed back home. –"But doesn't matter. All I want now is to go home, drink another cup of tea and maybe take a nap. All of this excitement had exhausted me enough to finally be able to sleep for a couple of hours."

* * *

The following day, everyone was talking about it; how the Miraculous Team had managed to prevent a tragedy, by helping the Parisian firefighters put out the fire in Notre-Dame, and then put it back the way it was, thanks to their magical abilities. They were already pretty famous in Paris, but now that they had managed to save a landmark that meant so much to people around the world from being destroyed in a fire, they were the talk in every major television channel, newspaper and blog around the world. Petitions to erect a statue to the saviours of Notre-Dame Cathedral were already circulating on the web, and upon reading such petitions, one could see that they were not just demanding a statue of the heroes that showed up to save the cathedral, but a statue of the whole team, thanking them for all the times they had saved Paris.

But on that morning, none of that interested the heroes, who, like always, had a full day ahead of them in school. And on that particular morning, something big was happening. It was Career Day, and that meant that students would invite one or both their parents to come to school to show what they did for a living to the rest of the class, and in Miss Bustier's class that was no exception.

As always, Marinette asked her dad to attend Career Day, and as always, Tom Dupain was more than happy to do it. Like always, Alya also asked her dad to attend Career Day, but on that day, something came up in the zoo and he would not be able to go. Luckily, her mom, Marilla, had the day off and was more than willing to attend it. And she was not the only one who had brought her mom to Career Day. Juleka had also brought her mom, Anarka, who was more anxious about all this than Juleka herself was.

Career Day was important for the students, because it allowed them to know more about the possible professions they would like to follow in the future. But more importantly, it also gave them the chance to spend a morning with one, or even both parents, and know a little more about the job they did every day. It was also the perfect opportunity for the teachers to talk to the parents in a more casual environment, opposed to the one environment experienced at the end of the trimesters, if they felt they needed to know anything about their sons or daughters' behaviour in class. But that was one thing that was not going to happen in Miss Bustier's classroom, as she only had good things to say about her whole class. She would consider herself extremely lucky in having the students she had. None of them have given her any problems at all. In fact, she was proud of her students, as all of them had showed a positive evolution, not only in their academic achievements, but also in their relationships in class. Even Chloe, who used to behave like a spoiled diva, had since the beginning of that school year changed for the better. The way she behaved with both her and her classmates, it was like she was a whole new person. As her teacher, she could not be prouder of her, believing that through her teachings, she had managed to give Chloe the emotional tools to turn over a new leaf.

Once the bell rang, every parent entered in the classroom, accompanied by their son or daughter, upon which they all took a seat. Still, in Miss Bustier's class, there was one student, whose parent was not present, and that student was none other than Adrien Agreste. If one looked at him, one would only see a young boy smiling. But those who knew him well enough, knew that though on the outside he looked fine, on the inside he felt miserable. Once again, his dad was not going to keep one of his promises, by not showing up.

"Once again…" -Adrien thought to himself.

By now, Adrien was used to his father not showing up at these events. He knew that because of his job, his father had a very busy scheduling, and that did not give him as much free time as one would think. Still, when Adrien told his father about Career Day and he said that he would do his best to attend it, deep in his heart, Adrien still believed that he would show up. But once again, it seemed like his hopes were going to end crushed, as always. Looking around, he saw every last one of his friends with one of their parents by their side. Even Chloe's dad, Mayor Bourgeois, had managed to come, and Adrien knew his schedule was just as busy as his father's.

Looking at him, Marinette noticed there was something wrong about Adrien. When she got to school, she, just like everyone else, spent the minutes before classes started talking to her dad, and without realizing it, she had ignored the blond, who had arrived alone, with no one else accompanying him. As she thought about it, she felt terrible, not just because Adrien's dad had not showed up, but also because she ignored her friend, who happened to be the boy she was in love with. Tom, sensing something was wrong with his daughter, decided to ask her if everything was alright, by whispering to her ear.

"What's the matter honey?"

"I think Adrien is sad." -Marinette whispered back at him.

"Why do you say that?" -Tom asked her.

"His dad didn't come. He's smiling, but that's not his usual smile. That's his sad smile, dad." -she whispered to him.

"Well, I'm sure that his dad is sad that he can't be here for him."

"I don't know any longer if that's true, dad." -Marinette whispered to him. –"I mean, I know Adrien's dad is Gabriel Agreste, the famous designer, whom has been one of my idols for years now, and I know that he must have a very busy schedule… but, what kind of a person doesn't

"Well… I suppose one who wants to make sure that his son has everything he needs." -Tom told her. He had been lucky to be able to work and provide everything his little girl needed, while also being able to be there for her, whenever she needed. But he knew that there were parents who did not have that luck, and who ended up missing many important moments in their kids lives. –"Sometimes, a man must make sacrifices for his children, even if that means that he misses many important moments, like this one." -he sighed.

Though she knew her dad's words were filled with wisdom, and deep down, he was probably right about Adrien's dad being sad about not being able to come, Marinette could not help but to judge him for it. If she had half the money Gabriel Agreste had, she would do everything in her power to always be there for her children, even if that meant losing a business opportunity or skipping a business meeting. Nothing would stand between her and her children.

" _I don't know what the future holds up for me, but one thing I'm absolutely sure of, if I have children, I will never let anything stop me from always being there for them._ " -Marinette thought to herself.

Once she saw everyone had taken their seat, Miss Bustier decided to begin.

"First of all, good morning to all of you. It is with great pleasure that I see you all here, for another Career Day." -Miss Bustier said, smiling at everyone. –"I know just how hard it is for some of you to attend this day, and I want to thank you for availability." -she went on. –"And I see that we have some faces here that we did not have last year. For those of you who come to this small event for the first time, feel free to take your time talking about your profession, as well as answering any questions the young minds of our students might have about it."

It was the same old speech Miss Bustier gave every year on Career Day. But, no matter how many times she said it, Caline Bustier was able to make it sound like it was the very first time she spoke those words. It was just one of her many talents as a teacher, and everyone who knew her, knew that that was just one of the many reasons why people saw her as a great teacher.

"Now, who would like to start? I don't know about you, but I'm quite excited about this." -Miss Bustier went on smiling. The truth was she was really excited to hear what her students' parents had to say. –"Mayor Bourgeois, maybe you would like to start?"

"Well, if no one opposes, I guess I won't mind being the first." -Mayor Bourgeois said, as he turned to his daughter, who smiled at him. He was about to get up from his seat, when someone knocked at the door.

Usually, the doors blinds would be open, but on that particular day, the team of janitors, while cleaning the room before classes began had closed it, making it impossible for anyone to see outside.

"One moment, please." -Miss Bustier said, as she made her way to the door.

As she walked from her desk to the door, people wondered who had knocked. Adrien himself also wondered who could be. Deep down, he wished it was his father, but his realistic spirit knew that that was unlikely, and that the person who had knocked was either his bodyguard, or even Nathalie, his father's secretary, with a note in hand, apologizing in his father's name, and saying that due to some unforeseen difficulty, he would not be able to attend.

" _Ten euros as is Nathalie knocking at the door._ " -Adrien thought to himself. –" _The odds of actually being dad at the door are like a million to one… no, make that a billion to one._ " -he sighed to himself.

The same kind of thought crossed his friends minds as well. Though most of them had only seen Adrien's dad once or twice, since they befriended him, because of Gabriel Agreste's busy schedule, they knew that though he loved his son very much, he was not always there for him. This would not be the first time he did this to Adrien, and it would most likely not be the last one either.

" _Must be his dad's secretary, coming here to apologize for him not being able to come._ " -Nino thought, as he imagined just how bad his best friend was feeling right then.

" _Poor Adrien…_ " -Mylene thought to herself.

" _I feel so bad for him._ " -Chloe thought to herself.

" _Imagine… every last one of us has at least one of our parents here with us. This must be so hard for Adrien._ " -Alya thought to herself, as she tried to imagine what the blond would be thinking about all that.

" _After all of this, we're going to have to try and cheer him up._ " -Kim thought to himself. –" _Maybe we can hang out with him this afternoon, and do something he wants to._ " -he mused about.

But to Adrien's surprise, as well as Miss Bustier's and pretty much everyone else on the classroom, when she opened the door, the person who was standing outside was not Nathalie. Instead, it was none other than Adrien's dad, Gabriel Agreste, wearing one of his trademark white business outfits, complete the tie he had said on so many occasions was his favourite. Few people knew about this, but he did not have just that one tie which he said was his favourite, but dozens of them, that looked exactly the same. And as always, he seemed rather cold and distant, though if one would look him in the eyes, it would say the complete opposite.

"Oh, Mr. Agreste." -Miss Bustier said, a little surprised. She herself did not expect him to show up.

"I apologize for my delay. I hope I'm not too late." -Gabriel apologized.

"Oh, of course not, we we're just getting started. Please, come in. Feel free to sit next to your son." -Miss Bustier said, as she allowed him to step into the classroom.

As he made his way to where Adrien was and sat next to him, Marinette could not help but to feel a little bit guilty about all the nasty things she had thought about Adrien's dad, before he arrived.

" _Looks like I was wrong, he actually came._ " -Marinette thought to herself, as she smiled. She was incredibly happy for Adrien, right then. –" _Guess his father really tries to keep his promises._ " -she thought.

As he sat next to Adrien, Gabriel turned his head to his son and showed him a kind smile; the same smile he showed him when he wishes to apologize for something, he did wrong, or when he arrives late. This filled Adrien with joy. He had already accepted the fact that Gabriel was not coming, so to see him there, made the boy's day.

"Well, now that we're seemingly all here, I guess we can really start this Career Day." -Miss Bustier said. –"Mayor Bourgeois, if you would do us the honour." -she said, as the mayor made his way to the blackboard.

* * *

After school, Adrien had a photoshoot in the Church of Saint-Eustache. Usually he was not enthusiastic about having to do it, especially when he was forced to put on several kinds of his dad's newest creations for the photoshoot. And on that day, he was even less enthusiastic than usually. But because his dad had decided to come to Career Day, Adrien asked him if he could take some of his friends with him, to keep him company. At first, Gabriel Agreste felt that having them would distract him from the photoshoot, but in the end, he allowed Adrien to take three friends with him. Adrien felt tempted to ask him to take a few more, but decided not to press his luck on the matter.

When it came to choosing who he was going to take, he decided that the sensible thing to do was to ask who would not mind coming to keep him company, while spending a whole afternoon in a church. Most of the class had things to do that afternoon, but there were three who did not have any plans, who decided to tag along, Max, Nino and Kim. When she heard Adrien ask everyone who wanted to tag along, Marinette's heart nearly exploded. She really wanted to accompany him, but because she had to babysit Manon that afternoon, tagging along was not an option for her. Still, she did not become too upset, for on that night it was hers and Adrien's turn to patrol the city, and that meant she could spend some time with him, even if it was as Ladybug.

Upon arriving to the church, the boys saw that this had been closed to the public that afternoon for Adrien's photoshoot. The only people inside were the photographers, the production team, the make-up artists and the designated assistants for all three, as well as a small security force, who was guarding the entrance.

" _I guess when you have the money, you can do just about anything, including renting a church this size, during one afternoon for one photoshoot._ " -Kim found himself thinking it, as he looked around. –" _Mmm, and it also buys tons of really delicious things! Look at the size of those submarine sandwiches!_ " -he thought to himself, as his eyes caught a glimpse of the catering buffet.

Situated in Les Halles, an area of Paris once home to the country's largest food market, the origins of Saint Eustache dated back to the 13th century. A modest chapel was built in 1213, dedicated to Sainte-Agnès, a Roman martyr. The church became the parish church of the Les Halles area in 1223 and was renamed Saint-Eustache in 1303. The name of the church referred to Saint Eustace, a Roman general of the second century AD who was burned, along with his family, for converting to Christianity. The church was renamed for Saint Eustache after receiving relics related to the Roman martyr as donations from the Abbey of Saint Denis. As for the current church, the construction of this one began in 1532, having been finished a century later. An example of a Gothic structure clothed in Renaissance and classical details, over the centuries Saint-Eustache received many events, such as the First Communion of king Louis XIV, the baptisms of Cardinal Richelieu, Madame de Pompadour and Molíère and the funeral of Queen Anne of Austria. After Notre-Dame, Saint-Eustache was perhaps the most visited Catholic church in Paris.

Like every other photoshoot he did, Adrien became immediately bored after posing for 15 minutes straight, and that was just the first of 20 new outfits. Nino and the others could not do anything except trying to cheer him, by talking to him between costume changes. While this happened, their kwamis decided to take a grand tour of the church, all, except for Plagg, who decided to stay inside Adrien's backpack, playing Candy Crush on Adrien's cell.

After nearly an hour and a half, Adrien was able to take a half-hour break. He did not know what upset him more, if the fact the last shirt he tried was itchy, or the fact that the amount of make-up he had on his face almost made him look like a vintage 19th century porcelain doll. This of course made Nino and Kim crack a couple of jokes. Determined to have a break from all of that, he told the production team that he was going to find a place inside the church where there were not so many spotlights. It did not take him and the rest of the boys long to find the ideal place, near the Chapel of the Virgin. Taking a seat in one of the many chairs, near the chapel's altar, the four friends began talking about the first thing that to their mind, as their kwamis, who had been busy exploring the church, joined them.

"It was really too bad you couldn't show up to save Notre-Dame yesterday." -Kim told Adrien, as he took a bite from one of the sandwiches, he had brought with him from the catering buffet. He had already eaten a chicken and tomato sandwich and a tuna and mayo sandwich, and was now stuffing himself with a lobster and salmon sandwich.

"Yeah, but gladly you guys could." -Adrien told him. He was a little bit sad he could not help the day before, because he had a fencing lesson. But when he found out that some his others –"With Rose busy with her ballet class, me stuck in my fencing lesson, Mylene and Ivan at the movies at the time, and Nathaniel, who slept through the whole thing, you guys certainly managed to save the day without us." -he commented.

"All in a day's work." -Max said. –"But believe me, at least you didn't have to breathe all that smoke and toxic fumes, while fighting the flames." -he added.

"True. But I would've gladly traded my fencing lesson for an hour or two of patrol or crimefighting." -Adrien said.

"Well, I wouldn't." -Plagg said. The black cat kwami had been silent for a good while then. –"While you were having that fencing lesson, I spent that time eating little pieces of Gouda cheese, as well as Camembert, while watching the last few episodes of Game of Thrones on your cell phone." -he smirked.

"You were always a very, very lazy kwami, Plagg." -Ari said. –"Sometimes I wonder how you can still even fly from all the cheese you eat." -he said in a sarcastic tone.

"Well, I'm the black cat kwami, and you know that us cats are lazy by nature." -Plagg pointed it out. –"And don't bad-mouth my cheese eating habit. I've got to keep my strength to lend my powers to my boy here, in case he needs them." -he stated.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that… it reminds me of a certain someone." -Imp said sarcastically, as he looked at Kim, who had just taken a large bite of his sandwich.

"W-What?! I'm hungry!" -Kim told his kwami, causing everyone to laugh at him.

The laughs went on for a couple of more seconds, before ceasing completely, as they all tackled another conversational topic.

"Either way, I guess we were all surprised today in class." Nino said, as he looked at Adrien. –"I actually thought your dad wasn't going to show up, bro." -he declared.

"Yeah. When he showed up at the classroom door, my jaw almost dropped." -Kim admitted. –"I bet you weren't expecting him to show up either, am I right?" -he asked Adrien, as he finished his sandwich.

Hearing him asking that, Adrien needed a couple of seconds to think about the answer. The truth was that he was so used to having his father not showing up, when he was so supposed to, that when he did show up, he was practically speechless, just like everyone else.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't surprised when he showed up." -Adrien admitted it.

"The kid here is already so used to being disappointed by his dad, that when he decides to keep one of his promises, one almost asks himself if that is not a sign that the end of the world is near." -Plagg said.

"Plagg, you shouldn't say those things." -Ari said.

"Oh, calm yourself, spider breath. Adrien knows I'm joking."

"Even so, that's not a nice thing to say." -Wayzz told him.

"It's okay, Wayzz, I'm used to it." -Adrien told the turtle kwami. –"Though, he does have a point. It's a little unusual for him to actually do this." -he said. –"Still, I for one, am not complaining about it. It was nice of him to come to Career Day, and I got to spend some time with him."

Nino, Kim and Max knew Adrien's relationship with his dad was not the best, especially, since his mother died. They did not know the whole story behind it; not even Nino whom Adrien considered his best friend knew it, but from what they knew, they knew that ever since Adrien's mom died, his father was forced to raise him alone, but it was hard, especially since he became a rather a person who kept his feelings locked away. If it was not for his personal secretary, Nathalie, who was like a surrogate mother to Adrien, who tried her best to make sure the two did not end up as complete strangers, who happened to live in the same house, this would have happened a long time ago. So, when they heard their friend saying that he had enjoyed spending a couple of hours with his dad, they would be happy for him.

"Well, I'm happy for you, bro." -Nino told him.

"Uh-oh… I think your breaktime is over." -Plagg said, as he and the other kwamis disappeared out of sight. One of the production assistants was making her way towards them.

"Guess it's back to the front of the camera's lens for you, Adrien." -Max stated the obvious.

"You would think that since this is your photoshoot, you would get to pull the shots around here." -Kim told Adrien.

"Yeah, well, I don't. Because if I did, I wouldn't be here, right now." -Adrien joked, as he and the others got up.

There was still an hour of Sun left, when they finally wrapped up the photoshoot. After posing for what looked like millions of photos, Adrien was in the mood for a shower, a quick bite and a good night sleep. Still, he knew that was not going to happen; at least, the last part, for he had to patrol the city with Marinette that night. Remembering that, he felt like heading back home even faster than usual. A couple of hours with the girl he loved, and whom he still had to propose to, was just what he needed to finish that day on a high note. After changing into his regular clothes, he went to where Nino and the others were waiting for him, so they could go home. Adrien had told them, while insisting on the matter, that he would not mind giving them a ride, even after the three of them said they did not mind taking a bus or the underground home, or even transform into their hero personas to get there faster.

"Come on, we don't want to impose."-Nino told Adrien.

"Look, guys, it's okay. Besides, at least this way we can talk a little longer, and I don't have to sit in the car in silence for nearly 15 minutes, while Gorilla drives me home." -Adrien declared.

They all understood that Adrien just really wanted to spend a little more time with them. And who could blame him for it? As they made their way to Adrien's limo, where Gorilla was expecting them, Adrien felt something was wrong. He had the strange sensation that he was being watched. He stopped for a moment, trying to see if he was just being paranoid, or if there was really someone watching him. Turning his head to the left, and then to the right, his eyes kept looking for something or someone who might be staring at him. At first, he saw nothing out of the ordinary… then, he thought he had seen something, only for it to realize it was nothing, or so he thought. The others, seeing him acting like that, quickly asked him if everything was alright.

"Hey, Adrien, what's going on?" -Nino asked him, as he walked back to him. –"Is something wrong, bro?"

"H-Huh, what?" -Adrien asked, as he was brought back to reality.

"I asked you, if there's something wrong. So, is there?" -Nino asked him, once again.

"O-Oh, I thought I saw… uh, never mind. It's probably my eyes playing tricks on me."

"You thought you saw what?" -Max asked him.

"It was nothing. Like I said, my eyes are just playing tricks on me." -Adrien smiled at him, as he resumed walking.

What he did not tell his friends was that he thought he had seen someone who looked familiar to him. Still, he put that thought behind his back, blaming his tiredness on making his eyes play tricks on him, making him seeing things. What he did not know was that there really was someone watching him, hidden behind a tree, as he exited the church with his friends. And that someone watched Adrien entering the limo with his friends, following the vehicle with its eyes, as it went up the street.


	3. Night of Heroes and Villains

Adrien's plans for after dinner, were to go straight to his bedroom, do his homework, play a few videogames and then go to bed. Or, at least that was what he wanted both his father and Nathalie to think. The truth was that he was going out on patrol that night with Marinette, and was going to give them the usual excuse. Unfortunately, Gabriel Agreste was not going to let his son go to his room that easily. At least, not before he could hear him play the piano for at least half an hour. He had not heard Adrien playing for more than a month, and he wished to know just how well he was doing with his lessons. Adrien tried to convince him to leave that for another occasion, stating that he had to finish a report that was due the following day, but Gabriel was determined to hear him play the piano, telling him that it would not take long.

So, after they finished dinner, the two of them went up to Gabriel's study, where the piano was, so he could hear Adrien playing. Taking his seat in front of the piano, Adrien waited for Gabriel to close the door behind him and sit on his usual armchair, to begin playing. That piano, Adrien knew, had belonged to his mother, who was quite the piano player, though she only played for family and friends. In fact, it had been her who had taught her husband to play the piano, when they began to date. So, when he felt Adrien was old enough, he insisted on him also learning to play it, thinking of it as a family tradition that should be passed down from parents to children.

Adrien was not the biggest fan of piano music. In fact, if he could have picked what instrument he wanted to learn to play, he would have picked something like the bass, the trumpet, or even, the saxophone, because he considered those instruments, the ones cool people played. For him, the piano was the kind of instrument one would learn, either to become part of an orchestra, or to impress people. Still, he was in no position to go against his father's wishes, when it came to that. Since the beginning of January that he had been practicing Beethoven's Fur Elise, one of his father's favourite pieces. Taking a deep breath, he readied himself to begin playing it, as he stared down into the ebony and ivory keys. Beginning, music flooded the room, each note vibrating exquisitely, sending shivers to anyone who was fortunate enough to be listening to it, which was Gabriel Agreste's case. He never got tired of hearing his son play, especially when he demonstrated that he had the talent for it, just like his late wife.

"He has been practicing…" -Gabriel thought to himself, as he listened to the music.

Adrien continued to play, trying his best to not miss a single key. He knew just how much this meant to his father, and after he had attended Career Day event that day in school, Adrien was determined to thank him for it, by giving him the best performance one could give. Suddenly, a tiny black figure emerged from inside the piano… Plagg. After waiting for Adrien to come back, he ended up getting tired of waiting and decided to see what was keeping him.

"Plagg?!" -Adrien whispered, as he saw his kwami.

"What are you doing?! Didn't you say you were going out on patrol tonight?" -Plagg asked him, his voice slightly muffled by the music notes.

"I can't go just yet. My dad wants to hear me play." -Adrien told him in a hushed voice.

"Just tell him that you have homework to do and get this over with! Besides, this music is so boring…" -Plagg exclaimed to him as low as his voice allowed him. Like Adrien, he was not the biggest fan of piano music, and he made sure to remind him of it, whenever he had the chance.

"Adrien? Did you say something?" -Gabriel asked his son. He had closed his eyes to fully immerse himself in the music, and so, did not see Adrien leaning his head to talk with Plagg.

"Uh, no dad, everything's fine." -Adrien quickly told him, as he went on playing. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that his dad was still with his eyes closed. –"I was just saying that I hope you are enjoying what you are hearing." -he said, as he looked at Plagg, –"You're going to get me into trouble. Just go back to my room wait for me there."

"Quite." -Gabriel told his son. –"It's nice to see that you have been practicing lately." -he said.

"I do my best. Plus, Nathalie insists on reminding me that I must practice, at least three times, each week." -Adrien told him, as he saw Plagg leaving.

"She's just doing her job." -Gabriel told his son. –" _Must remember to congratulate her on a job well done._ " -he thought to himself. –"You had homework to do, didn't you, Adrien? If so, keep playing for another five minutes or so, and then you can go and do them."

"Okay, thanks, dad." -Adrien smiled.

* * *

Once he arrived in his room, Adrien scolded Plagg for showing up like that. He told him that they had been lucky his dad usually closed his eyes, when listening to classical music; otherwise, he could have seen him. Plagg, on the other hand, told him that if he had seen him, he could have always told Gabriel that he was just a toy.

"Yeah, and how would I explain to him how you had ended up inside the piano?" -Adrien asked him.

"You would have figured something out. You always do." -Plagg said, as he gulped down a piece of Camembert that was half his size, without chewing it.

"You give me too much credit… plus, if you keep doing this, sooner or later my dad's going to find out about you, about my superhero life, and about everything Miraculous-related, and we don't need that." -Adrien told him. –"Every time you show up around me, when he's near, you're playing with fire, and you know what they say…"

"If you play with fire, sooner or later you'll burn yourself… come on, Adrien, this isn't my first rodeo. No one will ever see me, unless I want to." -Plagg told him.

"Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?" -Adrien asked him.

"If I promise you, will you power up and go on patrol?"

"You usually don't want to go on patrol, and today you're in such a hurry. What's really going on?" -Adrien asked Plagg, suspicious.

"What?! It was you who wanted to go out on patrol with Marinette tonight. Can't I be happy for you to go on patrol with the girl you like?" -Plagg told him, slightly nervous.

"Plagg…" -Adrien kept staring at him, while raising his eyebrow. It took him a couple of seconds, but finally, he managed to get the truth out of Plagg.

"Okay, there's a documentary on Camembert cheese airing in a couple of hours and I want to see it. So, the faster you go on patrol, the faster you'll come back and I get to watch the documentary! There, I said it! Are you happy?!" -Plagg answered him in a sarcastic voice.

"Very much." -Adrien chuckled. –"You could always tape it and watch it later, you know?"-he went on. –"Still, we must not leave Marinette waiting. She's probably already asking herself what happened to me. Plagg, transforme moi!"

Already outside as Chat Noir, Adrien could not help but to feel that that particular day was being one of the best he could remember. The only thing left to turn that day into the perfect day, was if he could tell the girl he loved his feelings for her. Ever since he met Marinette that he had a little crush on her, and that crush had developed over the years, the same way, and unknown to him, her crush on him had also developed. The two of them were in love with one another, but unknown to both, they were unable to tell each other their real feelings for another.

_(Flashback)_

_Adrien had been pacing around his room for nearly fifteen minutes, as the rain kept pouring outside, ruining what could have been a rather cloudy, but still, beautiful day. December was just at the corner, but the weather, with its rain and wind, made it look like they were still in October. Still, Plagg did not care about any of that. Right then, all he cared about was that with all that pacing, Adrien was making him upset, for he wished to enjoy his cheese in silence, and thanks to Adrien, silence was the last thing one could hear in that bedroom._

_"_ _Would you mind stop walking around like that? You're making me dizzy." -Plagg told Adrien, as he ate another piece of Camembert from the plate Adrien had brought him earlier. –"Not only that, you're giving me a headache. How can I eat this cheese in peace, if you keep pacing around like that?" -he asked him._

_"_ _I'm sorry, Plagg… it's just that… I've been thinking about Marinette so much, that I… well, I don't even know what to think anymore." –Adrien told him, as he made his way to the sofa, where Plagg was._

_"_ _You do like her, don't you?" -Plagg smirked. Adrien had taken her to the movies earlier that week, and because he felt that some of the words Marinette told him meant something more, he had seen that as a sign that she also liked him. Plagg himself knew Marinette was also in love with Adrien, because Tikki had told him about it. Still, she had asked Plagg not to reveal it to him, believing that the two of them should find out about each other's feelings by themselves. The black cat kwami was not a fan of secrets, but he had promised not to reveal a single word about it to Adrien, and he was going to keep his word regarding it._

_"_ _I do." -Adrien sighed. –"You know, I don't have many certainties regarding my life… but one of the few certainties I have is that I love Marinette." -he smiled at his kwami._

_"_ _Then, why don't you just tell her how you feel?!" -Plagg asked him, as he grabbed another piece of Camembert. By now Adrien had grown accustomed to the nauseating stench of the Camembert, so Plagg did not to worry about eating it near him, though deep down, he never really worried about it, because he believed Adrien would either get accustomed to it, sooner or later._

_"_ _It's not that easy, Plagg." -Adrien sighed, as he tried not to smell the disgusting Camembert. He had certainly grown accustomed to its stench, mostly because it was Plagg's favourite kind of cheese, but no matter how many times he smelled, he just could not help but to think that its stench was the most disgusting kind of stench one can smell. How Plagg loved it, was one of the biggest mysteries in the universe to him._

_"_ _Of course, it is! Just go up to her and say "Hey, Marinette! How you doing?! Guess what, I'm in love with you. Would you like to be girlfriend?" -Plagg said, pretending to be Adrien, and even mimicking his mannerisms._

_"_ _I can't say it like that, Plagg!" -Adrien exclaimed. –"If I say it like that, she might think that I'm… well, it doesn't matter what she thinks. What matters is that she might not even like me in the same way I like her." -he declared. –"And that's not just it… you know that I'm really shy."_

_"_ _But there's no need to be shy around her! She's your friend." -Plagg told him. –"But, if you are worried about it, then, ask her as Chat Noir! You've got tons of confidence when you are him." -he suggested him._

_"_ _I don't want to ask her to be my girlfriend, while I'm Chat Noir, Plagg. I want to ask her to be my girlfriend as Adrien… that is, if she loves me, of course." -Adrien told him._

_"_ _But you and Chat Noir are the same person! I don't understand why you keep talking about your hero persona as a totally different person." -Plagg sighed. They had talked about that more times than he could remember, and it seemed that no matter how many times they did, they always came back to that same issue. –"Remember, you and Chat Noir are the same person, with the exception that when you are him, you move, talk and act with a lot more confidence and self-assurance, than when you are just you." -he said._

_"_ _Maybe so, but… look, I know that when I'm Chat Noir, I sometimes act all cocky and presumptuous, and I don't want her to think that I'm like that." -Adrien said._

_"_ _Oh, come on! You flirt with her all the time when she's Ladybug, and she flirts back. Do you think she's also like that all the time?" -Plagg said, as he raised an eyebrow._

_"_ _No… she's cool and kept, and really nice." -Adrien sighed, knowing that his kwami was right. Marinette only acted that way when she was Ladybug. –"Look, it's complicated, okay?" -he sighed._

_No, it's not complicated… you humans, you are the ones that make things like that needlessly complicated, because you overthink things." -Plagg said. –"If you really do love her, you'll find a way to tell her, and who knows, if she does love you, just as much as you love her, then everything will end up okay. If you think that you're not ready to tell her about your feelings for her, then don't rush things. With time, you'll gain the courage to do it, and, who knows, maybe she'll even give you hints that she's into you." -he told him, already knowing that she was head over heels for him._

_Hearing that pearl of wisdom, Adrien realized that those words Plagg had just spoke to him were exactly what he needed to hear._

_"_ _Whoa… that was some really wise advice." -Adrien told him. He was used to hearing Plagg joking about everything and being that one kwami that acted like the class clown, whenever he had the chance. So, when he acted like that, it felt strange, to say the least. –"Are you sure you didn't read that in one of those sugar packets that Nathalie likes to collect and that she likes to keep inside her desk?" -he joked, remembering that little thing Nathalie had once told him, when he asked her if she collected anything._

_"_ _Very funny. I can also be just as wise as Wayzz, if I put my mind to it, of course." -Plagg protested, clearly upset with that comment from Adrien._

_"_ _Okay, okay, okay, I'm sorry." -Adrien chuckled. –"Still, thanks for the advice, Plagg. It helped more than you can think of, trust me." -he smiled at his kwami._

_"_ _Don't you mention it." -Plagg winked at him. –"So, does that mean you're going to stop pacing around like that and let me appreciate my Camembert in peace?" -he asked the teenager, as he flew towards the plate and grabbed a large chunk of his favourite cheese, which was as big as himself._

_"_ _Well… I was thinking about playing some videogames, to get my thoughts in order, but if you want to eat in silence, I can always grab a book and…" -Adrien told him, teasing his kwami, whom he knew loved to play videogames with him._

_"_ _Forget what I said! You know I can't resist playing those videogames! They're the most fun a kwami has ever experienced! Let's play some videogames!" -Plagg exclaimed, as he dropped the piece of Camembert and quickly dashed towards the PS4 controller he usually used, when he and Adrien played against one another. –"I call dibs on choosing the first videogame!" -he said, making Adrien chuckle._

_(End of flashback)_

To apologize for his lateness, Chat decided that he had to take his lady something special, and he knew just what he was going to take her. Because it was a rather chilly night, and knowing she loved hot chocolate, Chat procured a place where the delicious beverage was sold. After almost 15 minutes, he found a café, where they were advertising the best hot cocoa in Paris. Looking for a place where he could turn back into Adrien, without risking anyone spotting him, he found a deserted backstreet, where he went down.

Once on the ground, he quickly turned back into his civilian form, made his way to the café, bought two cups of it, the one for Marinette with extra foam, and then went back into the alley to change back into Chat Noir. He was sure that even if she was mad about him running late, that hot cocoa would make her forgive him. Using his staff, he propelled himself up, and once back on the rooftops, he made his way to the usual place, where he and Ladybug usually began their night patrols, the Louvre.

Waiting for Chat to show up, Ladybug was leaning against one of the chimneys of the Richelieu wing, facing the Louvre Pyramid, wondering what could have happened that would make him run late? Chat was usually quite sharp when it came to arriving on time. Checking the time on her yo-yo, she saw that he was running 30 minutes late.

" _Where is he?_ " -Ladybug thought to herself. –" _I'm starting to wonder if he just stood me up._ " -she pondered that hypothesis, but quickly told herself that Adrien was not the kind of person who do such a thing. She knew that if something happened, he would call her, or the very least, text her. –"No, Adrien would never do that."

Still, the idea of being stood up continued to spin around in her head. Suddenly, she heard a thud nearby. Looking to the side, she saw the agile figure of her friend and partner, Chat Noir, tilting his head to the left, just like real cats did, smiling at her.

"Good evening, milady." -Chat Noir said, bowing himself.

"Oh, there you are. I was starting to think that you had forgotten about our patrol." -Ladybug told him, looking at him with a slightly upset face. –"You could have texted me, saying you were going to be a little late. I'm freezing here." -she told him, pretending she was incredibly upset with him, though in reality, she was happy to see him.

"Let's just say that I had something I needed to take care of, before coming here." -Chat Noir smiled at her, knowing she was not really upset or mad at him, as he showed her the hot cocoa. –"But, if my word isn't enough, here's a little gift, that I hope you will accept as an apology for my lateness." -he kept smiling at her.

"Oh, hot chocolate. You really know how to treat a girl." -Ladybug smiled at him, as he handed her the cup. If she was a little bit upset with him, that was now part of the past. –"Extra-foam, just the way I like it, you remembered, Adrien." -she said, as she sipped the delicious and warm liquid from the cup. –"Mmm… thanks, Adrien, with this much cold, a hot beverage is just what the doctor ordered."

"Does that mean I'm forgiven, milady?" -Chat asked her, while staring at her.

"Well, yes, I forgive you… this time." -Ladybug smirked at him. –"In fact, if every time you're running late, you bring me some kind of gift, I'll forgive you, no matter what." -she kept smirking at him.

"It's a deal." -Chat said, as he sipped his own hot cocoa.

Sating down on the building's ledge, the two decided to talk for a bit, while drinking the hot cocoa. Because it was getting chilly, Chat did not hesitate in sliding next to Ladybug, so as to block the wind and try to make her feel a little less cold. The scarlet heroine noticed this and enjoyed him behaving like a gentleman, trying to protect her from the cold with his body. After a few moments of silence, when the only sound heard between them was the sound of the sipping the hot cocoa, Ladybug decided to break that silence between them.

"So, how was the photoshoot?" -Ladybug asked her partner. She really wanted to have gone with him, but because she had to babysit Manon, and the fact that Adrien's dad only allowed him to take three friends with him to the photoshoot, made it impossible for her accompany him.

"It was okay. Boring, as always, but I had Nino, Max and Kim to keep me company." -Chat said, as he sat down. –"What about you? How was Manon today?" -he asked her, remembering she had told him she had to babysit her.

"She was okay. She begged me to tell her how I saved Notre-Dame from burning up, with the help of my collection of puppets." -Ladybug told him. –"You can imagine just how crazy things got, when she forced me and Tikki to assemble a miniaturized version of the cathedral out of stuff I had in my room." -she giggled. –"That Manon is a little rascal, but I wouldn't want her to be any different from what she is."

They kept talking about what had happened to each other during that day, as they drank their hot cocoa, and without realizing it, they completely forgot they had gone there to patrol the city. It was only when they finished it, that they remembered that they had work to do. Still, they both thought that it would not do any harm, if they remained there talking for a little bit longer. Because of everything that went on with the Collector and all, they had very few opportunities to talk lately, that they wanted to make the most of it.

"So, where are going tonight? Do you feel like going north, south, east or west?" -Chat Noir asked her, after he felt that they had spent enough time talking.

"I don't really know…" -Ladybug told him, as she sipped the final drops of hot cocoa from the cup, when she heard an already familiar sound to her and Chat. –"But I think someone just decided for us. Do you hear that?" -she asked the feline hero.

The noise sounded distant, but there was no doubt about what it was. It was the sound a police siren, and more importantly, it sounded like it was getting closer to their current position.

"It could be just a guy who got caught speeding where he shouldn't." -Chat Noir told her.

"Maybe… but it can also be something else." -Ladybug declared. –"Come on, let's investigate." -she said, as she got up.

"I'm right behind you, milady." -Chat Noir said, as he too got up.

Following the siren's sound, they ran as fast as their feet allowed them on top of the museum's rooftop, making their way towards the Rue de Rivoli, and then, towards Avenue de l'Opera. It did not take them long to see that the idea of the police being after a driver who had been caught speeding was only that, an idea. The police were after a speeding driver, but this one was also firing at them. The car in question was a navy-blue Ford Transit. You could see that it was not a brand-new car, but it was not an old one either, and besides a couple of dents on the vehicle's back and side door, it looked in pretty good shape. Wondering why were they running and firing at the police, the two heroes would later find out that the men that were aboard had robbed a warehouse a few blocks from their current location a quarter of an hour earlier, and were being chased by the police who had been alerted to the felony, when the warehouse's alarm went off. A patrol car quickly responded to it and when it arrived at the scene, the officers were welcomed with a hail of bullets from the one assailant that was waiting for his other companions back in the van. Hearing the gunshots, the four men all dropped everything they were holding in their hands and quickly made their way to the exit, while drawing their guns. What followed next was a desperate attempt to get away from the police. Between bullets, they all managed to get into the van, and get out of there, with the police on their heels. But little did they knew that their plans were going to be further complicated by two of Paris' superheroes, who happened to be at the right place and at the right time to stop them.

Stopping on the ledge of one of the buildings in that avenue, the two heroes quickly assessed the situation and tried to come up with a way to stop the van. Once more, their training when dealing with armed foes was going to be put to the test. They did not have any problems fighting armed foes, but they would rather fight akumas, maybe because they usually did not have fire arms to use against them. Still, not just them, but the whole Miraculous Team had sworn to protect Paris and its inhabitants from all kinds of threats, and that included akumas and criminals with either a knife or a firearm. Looking down, Ladybug knew they had to move fast, before there were any casualties.

"If they keep driving like that, they'll most likely hit another car or a pedestrian." -Ladybug said. –"Plus, one of those bullets might hit an innocent person." -she said. There were not many people on the street right then, and those who were and had heard the shots, had either laid down or took refuge behind a tree or a parked car. Still, they had to hurry. It was never a good thing to rely only on luck and tempt fate.

"Too bad we don't have Nino with us. His energy shields would come in handy to either trap the car and the criminals inside them." -Chat Noir said, as he looked down and saw what was going on. If they did not work fast, someone was bound to get hurt.

"Indeed. Guess we'll just have to be a little creative with how we're going to take them down." -Ladybug declared. Like Chat, she also wished Carapace was there to lend them a hand with his unique powers.

"Do you have a plan?" -Chat asked her.

"I'm thinking of one, but you can always give a couple of suggestions." -Ladybug told him. She was tense and nervous about how things could unfold from that point on, but having Chat Noir by her side, made her feel confident about the outcome.

"Well, I do have an idea on how to end this quickly and without anyone getting hurt." -Chat Noir told her, with a huge grin on his face. He usually smiled like that whenever he had an idea, he considered truly amazing.

Explaining to Ladybug his idea, it took her less than five seconds to understand that Chat's idea was brilliant, and that she herself should have thought about it. Still, that was what partners were for, to help out whenever possible. Once he finished explain her the whole plan, she agreed it was a good one.

"Just remember… stay behind the police car, and wait for me to take care of the van. Once I'm done with it, I'll give you the signal, you spring into action and take them down with your yo-yo, okay?" -Chat Noir asked her

"Okay. Ready when you are." -Ladybug winked at him.

"Time to be pawsome!" –Chat Noir exclaimed as he jumped off the ledge.

" _I just love it when he starts making cat puns._ " -Ladybug thought to herself, as she followed him.

Down on the street, the robbers on the van had just crossed a red light, and nearly hit a car that was coming from their left. The deafening sound from the car's horn echoed through the air, mixed with the police car's siren, as these also crossed the red light, trying to catch the van. The robbers hoped that by taking the less crowded streets, they would give the police the slip, but that idea did not work, and they were forced to take that pursuit to one of the city's main arteries, hoping they would not get caught.

"They're still after us!" -one of the robbers exclaimed to the one who was driving. –"Step on it!" -he said, as he looked for another loader for his 9 mm.

"I'm driving as fast as I can, but this isn't a Ferrari!" -the driver exclaimed, as he passed a motorcycle.

"Maybe we should have stolen one, instead of this piece of junk!" -another of the robbers exclaimed. –"Aim for the tires, man!" -he said to his companion.

"We should have never tried to rob that warehouse! We should have hit an ATM or something like that!" -the one in the passenger seat protested. Since he heard the first bullet buzzing near his ears, that he had admitted that that whole robbery had been a bad idea.

"Would you cut that out?! How were we supposed to know that that warehouse had more than one alarm?!" -the driver yelled, when they heard a large thud, coming from the van's roof. –"What was that?!" -he asked, when he saw a smiling face looking at him through the windshield.

"Hey! Is this a private party, or can anyone just join you?" –Chat Noir asked the robbers, startling the driver, who almost lost control of the vehicle, and forced the feline hero to dug his claws on the van's metal, so he would not fall from it. Chat had landed on top of the van and had not wasted a single second to put his plan into motion. And as always, the first thing he did, as he showed his face on the windshield, was to crack up a joke, something he always did when he was nervous and did not want anyone else to know. The rest of the team had even called those moments "Chat's Spider-Man moments", because the fictional superhero also did the same thing, when fighting an enemy.

"It's Chat Noir!" -one of the robbers said.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." -Chat joked. –"And you might want to stop this van and just surrender, because one way or another, you're not getting way from either me, or the police. Trust me, not with this car." -he kept joking them.

"Waste him!"

With those words, the robber that was on the passenger's seat shot a bullet through the van's windshield, breaking it, trying to kill the feline hero. But this turned out to be a wasted bullet, as Chat quickly dodged it, performing a beautiful backflip, landing on the ledge of the van's roof. The whole thing looked like something only Jackie Chan would do in one of his movies. A few bullets shot from the roof in a futile attempt to hit Chat. His heart was racing like the heart of a hummingbird, as the adrenaline rushed through his veins, giving him the extra kick, he needed to complete his plan. Crouching, he positioned himself, while trying to ignore everything else. If he failed, his whole plan would go down the drain.

"Alright, this is your stop, boys… Cataclysm!" -Chat exclaimed.

Speaking that word, Chat Noir's destructive power manifested itself on both his hands, as he used his iconic attack on the van. Upon touching the van's roof, this one rusted in mere seconds, turning it into scrap metal, and reducing it to nothing more than rust. As soon as this happened, the five robbers all fell to the ground, rolling a couple of meters before finally stopping. They were a bit bruised, not to mention confused with what happened, but it did not take them more than a couple of seconds to get back on their feet. The police vehicle chasing them stopped just a few meters from where Chat Noir landed, who was now looking at the robbers, insisting that they should give up.

"Okay, everyone, let's just drop the guns and end this. If you have already dropped them, that's okay, but if you haven't, then let's do it." -Chat said, as he looked at two 9 mm that were on the floor, dropped by two of the robbers earlier. –"Come on, guys, you don't want me to embarrass you in front of the police, do you?" -he asked them, as the officers exited their vehicle.

Upon finishing that last sentence, Chat noticed one of the robbers was about to pull something from inside his jacket. He knew it had to be either a gun or perhaps a knife. Still, he was not going to wait to find out which was it. Reaching for his back, he grabbed his staff with his right hand and quickly threw it at the chest of the robber. Hitting him on the chest, the robber fell on his back, howling in pain, as the gun he had reached for in his jacket, dropped to the ground. The other four, impressed with the feline hero's speed, did not attempt to move an inch, fearing they would get the same treatment.

"Now!"

Saying that, Ladybug who had remained hidden behind the police car, jumped into the air, describing a series of somersaults, just before throwing her yo-yo at the four remaining robbers. This one described a perfect ellipse in the air, wrapping the four men. Landing on the ground, she then pulled the yo-yo towards her,

"Nice job, milady." -Chat smiled, as Ladybug approached him and fist-bumped him. –"Pound it!" -he said, along with Ladybug.

"Sorry, boys. But this just wasn't your lucky night." -Ladybug told the robber, as she grabbed the one Chat had hit with his staff and placed him next to his buddies.

"Thanks for the assist." -one of the officers said, thanking both heroes.

"Our pleasure, officers. We're just glad that no one got hurt." -Ladybug smiled. She liked to help out the police, whenever possible.

"Indeed. These guys were packing some serious hardware." -Chat Noir said, as he picked out the 9 mm, the guy he took down dropped earlier, and handed it to the officer. –"You better have this."

"Thank you. And once again, thanks." -the officer said, as he handed it to his partner. –"Bag it as evidence, and call dispatch to send a van to pick up these guys. After that, you handle the traffic on that end, that I'll handle it on this side. The last thing we need is a traffic jam."–he told him, before turning his attention back to the young heroes. -"By the way… I know this is a little unprofessional on my part, but my little girl is a very big fan of yours. I was wondering if you could…"

"Sign an autograph for her?" -Chat finished his sentence. –"Sure, it will be our pleasure, right, milady?"

"Of course." -Ladybug smiled. –"Do you have something we could use to write on?"

* * *

While Ladybug and Chat Noir celebrated their latest victory, Hawk Moth roamed the city in search of something he desperately needed. Having assumed the form of a swarm of black butterflies, he decided to get out of his hideout for the first time in weeks.

After his defeat on Christmas eve by the Miraculous Team, he was forced to retreat due to the injuries inflicted on him by the young heroes, who fought bravely to prevent him from giving Paris the darkest Christmas in its History. The injuries were so serious that he was forced to use a technique, which many would compare to suspend animation, so his body could heal properly. This technique, however, had a downside to it: It required a long period of time to work, and in this case, it made Hawk Moth sleep for more than a month. When he finally awoke, the heroes had already faced and defeated the Collector, whom Reptile and Madame Romani had observed from afar, during his final battle with the Miraculous Team.

After hearing what had happened during his forced slumber, Hawk Moth was not furious that the Miraculous Team had faced and defeated the Collector, an enemy he knew much about, and whom he knew he would have to destroy, if he was to rule the world, unopposed. He was furious because during that whole time, neither Reptile, nor Madame Romani had tried to put an end to the Miraculous Team themselves.

_(Flashback)_

_Ashamed. That was one of the adjectives Hawk Moth used to show his disappointment with his lieutenants. Other adjectives included enraged, furious and disappointed. With all the powers and abilities, he had given the two of them, he believed that they would make use of them, even if he was not in any condition. Upon trying to explain why they did not make a move against the Miraculous Team; Hawk Moth did not even allow them to speak a single word._

_"_ _Silence!" -Hawk Moth berated at the two of them. –"You two are absolutely useless! More than once those children have defeated you and made monkeys out of you, and the only thing you did was apologize for your failures!" -he went on. –"And what did you do while I was recovering from my injuries? Nothing! You did absolutely nothing! You hid yourselves like cockroaches!"_

_"_ _B-But master…" -Reptile said, when Hawk Moth silenced him by shocking him._

_"_ _Quiet!" -Hawk Moth yelled, as he shocked Reptile with the power of his cane. Once the purple lightning hit him, the lizard man squirmed in agony. –"You know the rules… you will only speak, when I give you the authorization to do so."_

_After a couple of more seconds, Hawk Moth ceased his attack on Reptile, who fell on his knees. The attack was so strong, that if the villain had gone for a couple more seconds, the lizard man would have fainted. Taking deep breaths, he tried to ignore the pain he was right then._

_"_ _B-But master Hawk Moth… you have always told us to never do anything without your approval." -Madame Romani said, trying to choose the right words. The last thing she wanted was to feel the wrath of her master and being electrocuted just like it happened with Reptile._

_"_ _This was different." -Hawk Moth said with a cold, almost sadistic voice as he kept shocking her. –"I was in no condition to move or speak… you, as my lieutenants were to carry on without me, while I recovered." -he told her, ending his attack. –"And instead of doing that, you just kept yourselves hidden like sewer rats and waited for me to wake up. I gave you those powers to serve me, and you have failed me, by not doing what was expected of you in absence!"_

_The truth was, he had never told Reptile or Madame Romani what to do, in case he was too weak or in no condition to order them around. But how were they going to tell him that, without angering him to the point of him deciding to kill them? Just from trying to come up with excuses, he had decided to electrocute them. Realizing that the less they spoke, the better chances they had of getting out of that in one piece._

_"_ _You know what this means, don't you?" -Hawk Moth asked them. –"It means that I'm forced to find another lieutenant who is able to carry on my orders, even when I'm not around!" -he told them._

_"_ _A-Another lieutenant, master?" -Reptile asked. He had always thought that Hawk Moth had not created more lieutenants, because he believed that he and Madame Romani could handle things. But now, upon hearing him say those words, the lizard man realized two things: first, that Hawk Moth was disappointed with them, and second, that they had failed their master._

_"_ _Yes, another lieutenant. It's obvious that neither one of you is able to do as you were asked, so I'm going to recruit a new one." -Hawk Moth told him. –"I never expected you to fail me like this. I should reduce you to ashes and take back the powers I gave you…. But I won't. I still need you and your abilities."_

_"_ _Oh, thank you, master…" -Reptile thanked Hawk Moth, only to be electrocuted once more by the villain._

_"_ _Silence! Don't think I've forgiven you." -Hawk Moth told him. –"If you truly want me to forgive you, then put some effort in finding me more victims for me to akumatize, in order to get rid of those kids… or better yet, kill them yourselves!" -he said, as he ended his attack. This time the attack was a little weaker than the first, but it still managed to hurt Reptile._

_(End of flashback)_

It was after berating Reptile and Madame Romani that he knew something had to be done. He needed a new lieutenant. Someone who would not fail where those two had. Still, though he knew they had failed him numerous times, he knew that their talents were useful, and that he was going to need them. By getting a new lieutenant, Hawk Moth hoped to generate a sort of competition between his two original lieutenants and his new one, forcing the three of them to do everything in their power to find him better and stronger victims for him to akumatize.

But this new lieutenant, he knew, would have to be different from the two he already had. He would have to be someone who could uphold orders and make decisions on its own when needed, while being absolutely loyal to Hawk Moth. And furthermore, it needed to have a special kind of rage in his heart that could be manipulated by the villain. On that night, he was hunting for someone who had a unique kind of rage in his heart… a kind of rage associated to unfulfilled duties and wasted potential caused not by the person itself, but by others. In sum, a warrior… a broken warrior, who could have been so much more, but had the rug pulled from under its feet, for one reason or another.

" _Yes, that is exactly what I need… and I will find it, tonight._ " -Hawk Moth thought to himself, as he soared the night sky of Paris as a swarm of butterflies.

At the same time, in a bar near Boulevard Raspail, someone was drinking too much for his own good. Lionel Berthier had once been a proud and experienced soldier in the French Armed Forces, but those days had ended in what looked like an eternity for him. Having served in the Chasseurs Alpins, or Alpine Hunters, he reached the rank of Second Lieutenant, before losing his right leg in a stupid motorcycle accident. Being unfit for combat, he was given a desk job. But he was never one to sit back and let others do the job, and quickly realized that his place would always be in the battle's front, next to his men, and not behind some desk. This led him to abandon the army, and quickly falling into depression, which itself led him to turn to alcohol to soothe the pain he was in. It had been three years since he had lost his leg, and now the only thing he did, besides complaining about his dream of becoming Colonel going down the drain, was to drink until he passed out from excess alcohol in his system. The bar he was in right then, was not a really nice one; more like one of those bars where one just goes to drink himself to death. But that did not matter to him. He did not care if he was the only one in that bar, with the exception of the bar owner, that night. As long as there was a bottle of whisky, tequila, or any kind of liqueur around, the rest of the world could blow up, that he would not mind. He had just finished his seventh shot of whisky, when he called the bartender to give him another.

"G-Give me another o-one… b-better y-yet. leave the b-bottle!" -Lionel told the bartender.

"You already drank enough for one night." -the bartender told him.

"I've got m-money!" -Lionel exclaimed, as he clumsily tried to get his wallet from his pocket, only to let one of his crutches fall on the floor. –"D-Dang it… s-stupid things a-are always f-falling."

"I don't care if you have money. I'm not selling you another drop of alcohol tonight." -the bartender warned him. –"Just go home. What you need is a goodnight sleep, not more

"D-Don't t-tell me what I need or I-I don't n-need!" -Lionel yelled at him. –"If y-you don't sell me booze, t-then, I'll f-find someone who d-does!"

Paying what he owned, he then clumsily grabbed the crutch that was leaning against the counter, only to also drop it. The bartender helped him, by picking them up and handing them to him, only for him to almost spit on his face, saying that he did not need his help or his pity. Exiting the bar, he turned left, looking for another place where he could have a few drinks. It was still too early for him to go home. As he walked down the street, he could feel that the people passing by him looked at him, and this made him feel angry. In his mind, he felt like they were looking at him as if he was a freak. Trying to ignore them, he just wanted to drink to forget about his crappy life.

Taking a shortcut through an alley to his right, he knew just where he had to go to get himself another drink. He knew every sleazy bar there was to know in that block., and he knew that alley would take him to the nearest one. Drunk and irritated, it was hard for him to walk straight on his only foot, even with the help of his crutches. The ground was dirty and slippery, and it did not take much for him to slip and fall on his butt.

"D-Dang it!" -Lionel cried in agony, as he threw one of his crutches away in frustration. –"I need a d-drink, s-so… s-o badly!" -he said, as he looked inside of his jacket and took out a flask.

"You think you will find the solution to your problems in the bottom of a bottle?" -a voice was heard. Looking around, he did not see anyone.

"W-Who said that?!" -Lionel shouted, demanding to know who was talking to him.

"I did." -the voice said, just before the person it belonged to showed up in front of Lionel. –"Good evening, Lionel. I see that once again alcohol has gotten the best out of you" -Hawk Moth told him.

"What's it to y-you?!" –Lionel asked the man who was standing in front of him. His vision was all distorted due to the alcohol, still, he could see that whoever was talking to him was wearing a suit, and some kind of a mask. The alcohol also prevented him from fully realizing the man in front of him was none other than most wanted terrorist in the history of Paris. –"I-If you got a p-problem with the w-way I s-spend my nights, w-well, that a-ain't m-my p-problem, you hear me?!" -he shouted, as he was about to take sip from the flask, only for it to be taken by Hawk Moth.

"Broken… that's what you are." -Hawk Moth smiled evilly at the man, he believed to be the perfect choice for his new lieutenant, while holding in his hand the almost empty flask he had taken from him. The rage inside Lionel's heart was incredibly powerful, and had all the things the villain was looking for in a new lieutenant. –"Broken, miserable… How would you like that to change? Wouldn't you want to be useful again? Wouldn't you want your leg back the way it was?" -he asked them, telling him all the words deep down Lionel wanted to know.

"You're saying that you can fix this?! You can turn this stump into a brand-new leg, is that it?"

"I can do so much more than that." -Hawk Moth said. –"I can give your leg back, and so much more. I can also make you a general. The rage that has accumulated inside your heart grows every day, and it would be a waste if we did not use it, now wouldn't it?" -he went on. –"What do you say? Will you pledge your allegiance to me, Hawk Moth, the future master of this world?"

"Y-Yes… I-I p-pledge my allegiance to you, H-Hawk Moth." -Lionel said, as he extended his hand to shake the villain's own hand, not fully realizing what was going on.

" _He's absolutely drunk, but it doesn't matter. Over the years I have recruited others that were as intoxicated as this one, and they served me well._ " -Hawk Moth thought to himself. –" _He'll make the perfect lieutenant. Not only he'll be strong, but thanks to his military background, if needed, he'll be able to help my akumas to defeat those infernal brats._ " -he thought to himself. –"Very well, give me your hand."

Shaking hands, a sudden energy discharge went through Lionel's body, causing him to squirm and yell, while at the same time it eliminated any traces of alcohol in his body, sobering him up. When it finally stopped, and he opened his eyes, both eyeballs were glowing purple, and he had something on his right hand… a butterfly tattoo, like the brooch Hawk Moth was wearing.

Snapping his fingers, a little black butterfly appeared in Hawk Moth's hand, after which it flew into Lionel and fused with him. Instantly, his whole body was enveloped in a thick cloud of black and purple smoke. When the smoke disappeared, Lionel had changed. Where once was a drunkard, now stood a man with long bright red hair in a golden and black armour, which bore elements from numerous kinds of armours throughout History, such as Roman, Greek, Templar, among others, with a touch of futurism. Hawk Moth had created a new lieutenant, and he knew just what name he was going to give him.

"Rise, Brutus. From here on, you will do my bidding, and help me fulfil my destiny." -Hawk Moth declared.

"As you wish, oh mighty Hawk Moth." -Brutus said


	4. An Afternoon with Friends

The next day, after classes ended, Nino invited Adrien to hang out with him. Adrien, having the afternoon off from any kind of extra-curricular activities or Agreste brand-related projects, agreed, telling his best friend that it would be nice to spend the afternoon doing something different with him. After the previous day’s photoshoot and the night patrol with Marinette, he needed a couple of hours to just relax, and though secretly he loved hanging out with just about anyone in their class, especially Marinette, there were just some things that one could only do and talk about with their best friend. Nino’s plan was to go to a music store he had recently discovered with Alya on one of their dates. Walking down the street, the two were engaged in a joyful conversation. Just like it happened with the morning, the afternoon was also a little windy, but if one had a jacket on, could safely walk around, without the risk of catching a cold.   

“A little chilly, isn’t it?” -Adrien shivered a bit. –“Thanks for inviting me, Nino.”

“Hey, no sweat, Adrien. You know I like to hang out with you, bro.” -Nino smiled at his best friend. 

“Are you sure Alya won’t get mad at you, for spending time with me, instead of her?” -Adrien asked him, as they picked up the pace, on their way to catch the bus.

“Absolutely, bro.” -Nino told him. –“Alya and I have one of those relationships where we have total trust on one another, and that means, that we don’t have to spend every free minute we have together.” -he told him. –“Besides, she already had something scheduled with Marinette and Alix this afternoon.”

“You two really have the best relationship one could ask for, that’s for sure.” -Adrien smiled. –“I never saw two people of our age, who had so much trust in one another, as you two have.” -he declared.

“Thanks. But don’t you think that our relation is a bed of roses, trust me. We have our fair share of arguments and tantrums, like all couples do.” -Nino said. –“But, because we love each other so much, we always find a way to put that behind our back… that, and our kwamis also help us out, when they sense that we’re just being dumb.” -he admitted, which earned him a comment from Wayzz, who was hiding in his backpack.

“I just try to show you that most arguments can be solved, if you speak from the heart, while always being nice towards the other.” -Wayzz commented. –“Plus, when two people love each other, like you two do, one must be willing to give in, even if the other is right, or wrong about it. After all, there is no such thing as a happily ever after… not unless you’re willing to work on a relationship, because no one is perfect.”

“See what I mean, bro?” -Nino chuckled.

“Wayzz has always been a very big know-it-all.” -Plagg said, spoke from inside Adrien’s shirt pocket.

“While you have always been the opposite of that.” -Wayzz shot at Plagg, who wasted no time in answering him back.    

“Oh yeah? Do I have to remind you that I’m way cooler than you, and that when one has coolness, doesn’t need so much wisdom?”

“Come on, Plagg, keep it down. You are wise, in your own way, just like Wayzz is wise in his own way.” -Adrien told his kwami, hoping to end that small argument between him and Wayzz.

“Alright, I’ll keep quiet.” -Plagg said.

“By the way, when are you going to tell Marinette about your feelings for her? -Nino asked him, surprising the blond. –“And don’t give me the old story that she’s just a friend and all. You two have been growing closer and closer, ever since last summer.” -he declared.

“I-I don’t really know… I mean, I know she likes me as a friend and all, but I don’t know if she likes me as a boyfriend, you know?”

“Yeah, right, keep telling yourself that, and one of these days, someone who’s as handsome as you are, and he’ll snag her, before you get the chance to tell her how much you love her.” -Nino told him.

“That’s what I keep telling him, but he doesn’t listen.” -Plagg commented.

“I think I remember you telling me, that I should take my time and not rush things.” -Adrien looked at Plagg.

“Yeah, but you’re taking too long! It’s like Nino says. If you don’t hurry up, someone might show up and you’ll lose her forever.” -Plagg told him.   

“Hate to admit it, but he does have a point.” -Wayzz admitted. –“In the words of the wise Confucius, If one speaks from the heart, whatever the result, one will be at peace with itself.” -he said.    

“Looks I’m at disadvantage here…” -Adrien sighed.

“Sometimes, you’ve got to take the first step, Adrien, even if that means you’ll get hurt.” -Nino said. –“And, of course, you’re not getting hurt out of this. Marinette loves you more than she loves the air she breathes.” -he thought to himself. Just like it happened with Alya, Nino knew that the two of them were in love with each other, and it pained him to not be able to tell him the truth, because of the promise he and his girlfriend had made, which prohibited both of them from telling their best friends the truth, hoping that sooner or later, they would find it for themselves. –“Could you promise me one thing?”

“Sure.” -Adrien asserted with his head.

“Promise me that you’ll think about it, bro. The longer you take to tell her the truth, the harder it will be.” -Nino declared.

“Alright, I promise I’ll think about it.” -Adrien told him. One could hear the sincereness in his voice.

They had been walking for nearly five minutes, when Nino noticed they were being followed, by none other than Adrien’s bodyguard, Gorilla, who hid behind a parked car, when Nino looked behind and saw him  He’d believed they had given him the slip as soon as they exited College Françoise-Dupont, but he was wrong. Somehow, he had managed to tag them.

“Don’t look now, but your bodyguard is still after us.” -Nino said.

“He is?” -Adrien asked, a little surprised.

“Got to give him credit. He’s trying really hard to do his job.” -Nino joked.

“What do you say if we give my bodyguard the slip?” -Adrien asked Nino. The Gorilla had been following them, ever since they left school. Because the boys had chosen to take roads where cars were not allowed, he was forced to park the car and followed them by foot, while always keeping a safe distance from them.   

“Are you sure your dad won’t get mad, especially if your bodyguard tells him that you gave him the slip?” -Nino asked him, worried that if they did it, Adrien would get in trouble with his dad, which was the last thing he, as his best-friend, wanted for him.

“I’ll be back home before he arrives. Besides, the Gorilla won’t tell him a thing, because he’s afraid if he does it, my dad will fire him, for not being able to properly guard me. I’ll probably get reprimanded by Nathalie, whom he’s going to tell that he lost me. But she was in a good mood this morning, so I think she’ll go easy on me. Plus, she won’t tell my dad, if I ask her not to.” 

“For a person whose last name is Sancoeur, she’s got a very big heart, you know?” -Nino declared, as he remembered the first time, he met Gabriel’s secretary. He had been invited by Adrien to spend the afternoon at his place. When he arrived, he was amazed by the size of Agreste Manor. Ringing at the door, he was waiting for an old butler to open it. But to his surprise, it was a woman, dressed in a turtleneck sweater, a black dress jacket, black pants and black medium-heel shoes, who opened it. Looking at her, he felt that she was anything but friendly. But these thoughts changed the second later, when she smiled at him, telling him to come in, and asking him if he would like a snack, as he waited for Adrien to come down, while stating she was happy that Adrien had made a friend on his first week at the new school. It was through these actions, that Nino saw she was a really sweet woman. Ever since then, every time Nino went to visit his best friend, he would make an effort to at least ask her how she was doing.  

“Yeah, she does.” -Adrien smiled. –“She’s the closest thing I have to a mother, you know?” -he said. –“And not counting you, or Plagg, she’s the one person I know I can tell just about anything, when I’m having a problem.”

“You’re lucky to have her around. Especially since your dad spends most of his time either travelling or working.” -Nino agreed. –“So, does this mean, we’re going to leave him in the dust?” -he asked him, with a mischievous smile on his face.

“Ready when you are.” -Adrien chuckled.

“I was hoping I didn’t have to use my parkour moves today, but I guess it’s for a good cause.” -Nino told him, with a smirk on his face.

“You’ve been practicing?” -Adrien asked him. Nino had become obsessed with parkour, way before he received his miraculous, and not counting music and Alya, parkour was his biggest love. And ever since he became the holder of the turtle miraculous and taken advantage of his powers, his parkour skills had improved tremendously. And the best part was that he had an entire city to practice, especially when he was on patrol as Carapace. Recently, he was even able to convince her to start practicing the urban sport, where they both find out she was a natural, though Alya believed it was because of the powers of her miraculous.  

“I have, along with Alya. I did manage to convince her to join me, you know?” -Nino declared to Adrien. –“She’s a natural, bro. You and Marinette should come with us. That way you

“I-I’ll think about it.” -Adrien told him. –“In the meantime, can we just ditch my bodyguard?”

“Thought you never asked…”

Nino had not finished his sentence, when he began sprinting towards a nearby bench and jumped over it, with Adrien following him the next second. From there, every single obstacle they found in their way, was quickly overcome. The only time they would stop was if there was someone in front of them, who they knew would not be able to get out of the way, or if they had to cross a street. As for Gorilla, no matter what kind of training he had,  

* * *

Still laughing of how they had managed to leave Adrien’s bodyguard behind, the two boys caught the bus, and 15 minutes later, they were in front of the music store. When they arrived, Adrien was a little surprised by what it looked like. Nino had not told him, but he believed that this music store would be one of those megastores, where one would get lost in. But no. This one was a little neighbourhood store, which had all its merchandise in sight, along with a basement, where one could find some of the rarer items. Upon entering, he saw the only persons inside were the store owner and another customer, who was looking at some Jazz vinyl records. The walls were plastered with posters from numerous bands, most of them unknown to Adrien. Still, he recognized posters from artists like Jagged Stone, Freddie Mercury and Bob Dylan, as well as posters from bands like AC/DC, Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, among others. The air inside the store was a little musty, no doubt due to the dust and the amount of records inside it. Still, it was not an unpleasant smell. On the contrary, it was a little appealing, like the smell of a library.

“I bet you were expecting I was bringing you to one of those megastores, am I right??” -Nino joked about.  

“Am I that transparent?” -Adrien asked Nino, while letting out a chuckle.

“No, bro, but come on, I know you well enough to know when you do that.” -Nino joked. –“So, what do you think?”

“It’s… I don’t know. Do you believe I’ve never been in a store like this before?” -Adrien answered him, as he kept looking around the place. –“The closest I’ve ever been to

Hearing him say that, Nino remembered that unlike him, Adrien never had a childhood like he had, especially after his mother’s death.

“Well, now you have me, and the rest of our friends to show you these awesome things. You may not have done tons of things that every kid should do when you were younger, but now you will, and you know what the best part of it? It’s the fact life’s not a competition, and we all do things at our own pace.” -Nino declared.

“You’ve been talking too much to Wayzz lately.” -Adrien laughed.

“Yeah, well, the little guy loves to discuss philosophy whenever possible. I understand why Master Fu and him were so close. I can only imagine the countless chats they had over the years the old master wore this miraculous.” -Nino said, as he pointed to the turtle miraculous on his wrist. –“Can’t imagine my life without the little guy around.” -he said, knowing Wayzz was listening to him inside his backpack.

“I can’t imagine my life without Plagg around.”

Looking around, the boys took their time to check everything that seemed interesting, with Nino pointing out the best records, the best albums and the best musicians, so Adrien would know what he was talking about. While they did this, more customers entered and exited the store. Some buying a couple of things, while others just entering and exiting after checking a couple of items. More than once, the owner asked the two friends if they needed any help, with Nino politely answering him they were good. It was when the owner asked them the same question for the third time, that Nino realized Adrien looked like his head was in another place.  

“Adrien? Huh, Earth calling Adrien! Bro, what’s up?!” -Nino asked him, as he placed a record he had been looking at in its place.

“H-Huh, what?” -Adrien asked him, snapping back to reality.

“I asked you if you were alright?” -Nino asked him, a little worried. Adrien had been acting a little like that during morning, but he just thought he was still a little tired from the previous night’s patrol. But it was nearly 3 in the afternoon, and he was still doing it, which made Nino worry about Adrien’s well-being. 

“Y-Yeah. I guess I spaced out a little, and I didn’t even realize it, until you called me. Sorry.” -Adrien apologized to Nino.

“Am I boring you with this? You know that when I start talking about music and all, I sometimes start talking about things that may seem interesting to me, but not to others and all.” -Nino admitted. Alya had already pointed it out to him a couple of times, since they began dating, and he was working on changing that a bit. But, once in a while, he would do it, without realizing it.  

“N-No, no, not all, Nino.”  -Adrien told him, being honest about it. He liked to hear Nino talk about music. But on that day, other kind of thoughts were on his mind, and though he had tried to put them away, they just kept coming back to him. –“It’s just that…”

“Just what, Adrien? Tell me, bro. You know I can keep a secret.” -Nino told him. He was worried about Adrien, and he wanted him to tell him what was going on.

“It’s his mom… or better yet, the anniversary of her death.” -Plagg said, as his head popped out from the

“Plagg!” -Adrien hushed him.

“Oh… I see.” -Nino said with a serious voice. He could only imagine just how hard it was for Adrien to remember his mom, and how she was no longer among them, on a date as tragic as that one. And when Nino remembered that when talking about Nathalie, Adrien had told him that he considered her the closest thing he had to his mom, he became filled with guilt, believing that he had reopened an old wound. –“I’m sorry if I…” 

“It’s okay, Nino. It’s not your fault.” -Adrien told him, trying to tranquilize him. The blond did not want his friend to think he had hurt him. –“It’s just… well, it’s nothing new really. I think about my mom a lot, all the time. But on the days before the anniversary of her death, it’s a little worst.” -he said, trying not to cry. He had no problem in crying in front of Nino, or anyone else. He just did not want to him to feel like he had been the one to make him cry. –“It’s hard, because… well, because I know she’s not here anymore, and remembering that another year has gone by, and the only thing I have to remember her are the stuff that are still around the house, and her photos. And of course, you know how my dad is. Just thinking that he wasn’t like this, when my mom was alive, it pains me. I remember him smiling and behaving like everyone else. He only became the way he is, after my mom died. I think that not having my mom around, changed him, and not exactly for the best. Though, I ‘ll be the first one to admit that lately, he’s been trying to be like the way he was, when my mom was alive.”

Hearing him say that, Nino felt even worse than before. Adrien had talked with him about how much he missed his mother before, but never like that, and that pained him, because he wanted to say something to try and cheer him up, but nothing came to his mind.    

“Bro, I’m sorry… if I had known about it, I…” -Nino declared, when Adrien interrupted him.

“It’s okay, really. I’ll be back to normal in a couple of days.” -Adrien said. –“Besides, when I think about my mom, I don’t think about the fact that she’s no longer here. Instead, I try to remember all the good times I had with her.” -he smiled to Nino. –“Plus, I’ve got my dad, and Nathalie, and even Gorilla, though he doesn’t talk very much… oh, and of course, I also have Nina, you remember her, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do. She was Hawk Moth’s second akumatized victim.” -Nino said, remembering her. –“Who would have thought that after her boss fired her, your dad would have taken her under his wing, hiring her as a new assistant?” -he commented.

“Not me, believe me. But, then again, I remember that my dad was, when I’m quoting my mom here, “A box full of surprises. When you think he doesn’t have any thing else up his sleeve, he surprises you.”…” -Adrien told Nino. –“Still, I’m glad he did, because the poor girl deserved a better boss than the one she had. And you know what else? She’s a really big fan of videogames. I already caught her playing on a Switch, while waiting for my dad to review and approve some papers she brought with her. She was playing the latest Monster Hunter.” -he told him.

“Whoa… okay, that is impressive.” -Nino admitted. –“Not the part where she plays videogames, but her choice in them.” -he said.    

“True. Next time I see her, I’ll try to ask her if she plays Mario Kart, so I can challenge her.” -Adrien said, this time with a more upbeat voice.

“Now, there’s Adrien I know and love.” -Nino told him. –“And look, if you want to do something else, we could totally do it. I mean, I asked you to come with me, but we don’t have to do just what I want. If you want to go somewhere else, or do something else, just say it, bro.” -he told him. There was not much he could do regarding him feeling sad about not having his mother around, but he could try and cheer him up, and that was something Nino was an expert at. He always found a way to cheer people up, one way or another.

“Thanks, but I was actually enjoying hearing you talking about the records you were thinking about taking, so you could you use them to come up with new mixes.” -Adrien declared. –“Maybe we could keep hunting for a few more of those, before going somewhere else?”

“If that’s what you want, we’ll do it, bro.” -Nino told him. –“Hey, and if I start taking too much, just let me know, so we can change the subject.”

“You got it.” -Adrien smiled. –“Now, let’s see… what can you tell me about this record here.” -he casually grabbed a record and showed it to Nino.

“Oh, that’s a good one!” -Nino smiled, as he knew that band particularly well.” –“That band was formed back in…”

But, unknown to Adrien, Nino or their kwamis, someone was spying on the two boys. It had followed them since the moment they left school, and had witnessed them outmatching Adrien’s bodyguard. It nearly lost them, when they took a few backstreets to get to the bus stop, but managed to get a hold of them, just as they were boarding the bus. Following them, it watched them going into the old music store, always careful to remain in the shadows, undetected. And that someone was none other than the person, who had been watching Adrien and the rest of his friends, the day before. Adrien’s feeling that he was being watched, had not been just a feeling. It was a fact, and he would soon find that out.  

* * *

And while Nino and Adrien kept looking for more records in the music store, Alya was waiting for Marinette and Alix to show up, in La Madeleine. Built in 1807, under the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte, the building had a Neo-Classical style and was inspired by the much smaller Maison Carrée in the city of Nîmes, one of the best-preserved of all Roman temples. Having a place as one of Paris most iconic churches, it was designed to be one of the earliest large neo-classical buildings to imitate the whole external form of a Roman temple, rather than just the portico front. Fifty-two Corinthian columns, each 20 metres high, carrying around the entire building. The pediment sculpture of the Last Judgement was the work of Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire, and the church's bronze doors bore reliefs representing the Ten Commandments. Usually tourists, upon seeing it, would wonder for a couple of seconds, if they were in Rome, instead of Paris. And right then, Alya was seated on its stairs, while leaning against one of the giant columns, waiting for her friends to show up. Opening her backpack, she looked inside to talk to Trixx, who was hungry, and a bit upset with the girls’ delay.      

“They’re late, girl.” -Trixx told her. –“I mean, I know Marinette likes to take her time getting ready and Tikki won’t dare to rush her, but Alix? The girl would spend the whole day running from one place to another, if she could, and Daria would make sure of that, because he’s just as crazy for speed, as she is.” -the fox kwami pointed it out.

“Would you relax for a little bit? They should be arriving any minute now.” -Alya told her. –“You know that they had to go home and leave their things, before coming here.” -she reminded her. Unlike them, Alya had decided to go straight from school to the church, and wait for them there.

“And why couldn’t they have come with us, right then?” -Trixx protested. She was in a bit of a bad mood that afternoon, because Alya had forgotten to bring her a snack.

“Because Marinette forgot her sketchbook at home, and Alix went to get her rollerblades. Plus, it’s getting chilly, and they also wanted to grab a jacket. Thank goodness I brought mine, when I left home this morning.” -Alya said, as s eh buttoned the leather jacket she had brought with her. –“By the way, could you stop talking so loud. People might hear you, and I don’t want them to think that I’m crazy or something, because I’m talking to the inside of my backpack.” -she begged the fox kwami.

“Fine… but they could hurry up a bit. And before you say anything, I’m not grumpy!” -Trixx told her, knowing that Alya was going to tell her that she was grumpy. She always said that, whenever the fox miraculous acted that way.   

“You’re a little bit grumpy, you silly kwami, and that’s because I forgot to bring you something for you to eat after classes ended.” -Alya told her, smiling tenderly at her, who looked back at her with an annoyed look on her face. –“But don’t worry, when they arrive, I’ll go buy something for you to eat. Now, please, be quiet just for a little bit, so I can do some work on the Miraculous Blog, while we wait. I still haven’t finished organizing the news articles in it, and I still need to post the video of the robbery Marinette and Adrien prevented.” -she said, as she grabbed her cell phone and turned on the mobile data.        

“Fine, I’ll keep quiet.” -Trixx sighed, as she sank inside the backpack, hoping the girls would not take too long to get there.  

While updating the blog, Alya did not even the time going by. But the same could not be said for Trixx, who had her stomach rumbling. Right then, the little kwami felt like she could eat a whole birthday cake, candles and all, if a person would place it in front of her. And the more she thought about it, the hungrier she got. Desperate for something to eat, she quickly began rummaging inside the backpack, looking for anything that wad edible, and hoping that Alya had forgotten something, like a cookie or a sunflower seed, inside it. It would have not been the first time the brunette forgot that she had placed something in her backpack and forgot about it. Unfortunately, this time, there really was nothing for her to ear inside the backpack. Throwing the towel, she had no other option but to wait for Marinette and Alix to arrive.

“Of all the bad luck… if Plagg or Flint were here, they would be saying that right now, I’m the unluckiest kwami in the world, without a bite to eat.” -Trixx said.

Minutes went by, and Trixx got hungrier and hungrier. But, to Alya, as the minutes went by, she got more and more done on the Miraculous Blog. While updating the news, she took the time to also check out the amazing fanart that so many had sent. She was amazed by the number of drawings, as well as the number of photographs, that people sent to be posted on the blog.

“ _I guess I’ll have to ask Max to add a new folder for fanart, and another for photographs. I can’t believe that there are so many cosplayers cosplaying as us._ ” -Alya thought to herself, as she checked out the photos of an Australian cosplayer who was wearing an Antelope cosplay. If she did not know Kim was an only child, she would swear that the cosplayer was Kim’s twin brother. –“ _It’s incredible, just how some of them look like  us._ ” -she mused about, a little surprised with the cosplayers’ talent. –“ _And I also have to ask him to maybe add a folder for fanfics. I’ve lost count of how many people want that._ ”

Finishing her work on the blog, she turned off the mobile data, and just stood there, while countless people entered and exited the church, enjoying the few rays of Sun that were able to pierce the thick white clouds that were on the sky that afternoon. If it was not for the wind, some would see it as an early Spring day, even though they were still in the first days of February. Alya loved that kind of days. She was a summer person at heart, but she also loved the other seasons, especially the last days of each of them, when she knows the weather is about to change. For her, it was something absolutely magical. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, as she sunrays touched her skin, making her feel all warmed up and a little sleepy.    

Shortly after, she heard a familiar voice calling her name. Opening her eyes, she saw it was Marinette, who called her, while waving her right hand at her. Waving back at her, Alya quickly got up, to meet her.

“Sorry it took so long for me to get here.” -Marinette immediately apologized to Alya for her lateness. –“I was on my way to the bus stop, when I remembered that I had forgotten my pass on top of my desk, so I went back to get it, but then I left my sketchbook, which I already had with me, on top of the desk. And when I noticed it, I had to go back to get it, and when I finally got to the bus stop, the bus had already passed, so I had to take the underground and…” -she kept talking as fast as her mouth allowed her to, continuously apologizing to Alya, when this one stopped her. 

“Girl, calm down.” -Alya laughed, trying to calm her down. –“Calm down a little bit. You aren’t that late.” -she smiled.

“I’ve been telling her that she needed to calm down a little.” -Tikki spoke from inside Marinette’s hand bag, her voice a little muffled. –“I told her that you wouldn’t be mad if we arrived a little later.”

“But you know I hate to arrive late, Tikki.” -Marinette opened her hand bag and whispered it to her kwami.

“It’s alright, Marinette. Besides, you were still faster than Alix.” -Alya told her, when she heard another familiar voice.

“Did someone mention my name?” -Alix asked out loud, as she made one of her famous entrances, sporting one of her numerous pairs of rollerblades she had. –“I’ve got my ears burning!” -she joked about it.

“Yeah, I was saying that even with all the things that happened to her, she still managed to get here before you did.” -Alya joked, as Alix joined the two of them. –“I thought you were supposed to be the queen of speed, Alix.” -she smirked at the pink-haired girl.

“And I am!” -Alix laughed. –“But a certain someone took his sweet time finishing eating his snack.” -she said, referring to her kwami, Daria, who was hiding inside her backpack. –“So, you girls ready to go? We’ve got to make sure Marinette finds the inspiration she needs.”

It was true. The reason Alix and Alya had decided to spend the afternoon with Marinette, was because she needed company, while looking for inspiration for a new fashion project of hers. When asking all the girls in class, on who would not mind coming with her that afternoon, on one of her inspiration rounds, the only ones who did not have any plans for that afternoon, and were able to accompany her were Alya and Alix. Alya, of course, did not hesitate, when she asked her, and Alix, figured that it would beat staying home watching television until dinner time. Besides, she liked to hang out with Marinette and Alya, even though they did not share the same enthusiasm she had for extreme sports.   

“Almost.” –Alya smiled, as she grabbed her backpack. –“First, I’ve got to buy something for Trixx to eat. She’s a little grumpy because I forgot to bring her something to eat.” -she told them.

“Oh, you don’t need to do that. She can have a cinnamon bun. I brought a couple of them for us to eat, while walking.” -Marinette declared, as she opened her backpack and took a little pink box from inside it, and opened it, to reveal several delicious cinnamon buns, which looked and smelled heavenly. –“Here. Give her this one.” -she picked one and handed it to Alya.

“Girl, you’re always prepared for every eventuality.” -Alya said, as she grabbed the delicious treat.

“Oh, I’m not.” -Marinette chuckled. –“I just happen to have a sweet tooth, that’s all.” -she kept chuckling.  

“Here, you little glutton.” –Alya said, as she opened her backpack and handed the cinnamon bun to Trixx, who caught it with her little paws and began eating it, right then. Seeing her kwami acting like that, Alya had to –“Hey, Trixx, where are your manners, missy? What do we say to Marinette?” -she asked her, while raising her eyebrow.

“Thank you!” -Trixx said, talking with her mouth full.

“Don’t mention it.” -Marinette giggled. –“Do you also want one, Tikki, or any of you?” -she asked her kwami and the girls, as she opened her hand bag, and looked at her kwami. –“You think Daria wants one, Alix?”

“Thanks, but not right now.” -Alya quickly answered her.

“I’m good, Marinette.” -Tikki told her. She had eaten a few cookies half an hour before, and she was not very hungry then.

“I’m also good, and I think Daria is still full from all the pickles he ate.” -Alix said, speaking for Daria, who was inside her backpack.

“He still hasn’t said a word, since you arrived. Is he alright?” -Marinette asked Alix.

“He might be a little sick from eating that entire jar of pickles.” -Alix answered her. –“That’s why he still hasn’t graced us with his presence.” -she chuckled, as she opened her backpack to check on Daria. –“Is everything okay?”

“I-I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” -Daria said, as he burped. –“Too many pickles.” -he burped once again.

“That’s what you get for eating an entire jar, you glutton. Keep still and continue to rub your tummy. You’ll feel better in no time.” -Alix smiled tenderly, while baby-talking with Daria, as she closed her backpack. It was not every day one would catch her doing that, but neither Marinette nor Alya said a word about it. –“So, where are we going, from here?” -she asked the girls. She had never accompanied Marinette on one of her inspirational walks, so she did not know where she would usually go or what she did on them.

“No idea. I usually just go where my feet take me.” -Marinette smiled.  

“In other words, she just walks around, hoping to see something that will inspire her.” -Alya declared. It was not Alya’s first turn doing that with her best friend, and she knew it would not be the last.

“Cool.” -Alix smiled. –“You’re a bit like me, when I decide to put on my rollerblades, I just let my instinct guide me.” -she declared.

“Right, then, let’s go.” -Marinette said, as she made her way to the sidewalk.

The whole city of Paris was always bustling with life, and Marinette loved that, because no matter where she went, she would always find something that would inspire her to create. And anything could be the thing that would inspire her creative vein. A car, a building, a statue, a man selling balloons, a group of children… and sometimes, it would be the water in the Seine, the wind in the trees, the traffic lights. She never knew what would spark her creativity that day, and that was part of the fun. Plus, a good conversation with one or two friends, who decided to tag along would also help out, in more ways than one. Following Rue Royale, in a matter of minutes, they saw themselves in the middle of Place de la Concorde. This one was, like always, bustling with life. Tourists and locals crossed it, on their way to somewhere else, or stopped to take a photo, enjoy the view, feed the pigeons, or do something else. Looking around, the girls found a bench to sit for a bit, near the south fountain. As soon as she sat, Marinette quickly took her sketchbook from her backpack and began to draw, having been inspired by the fountains and by the square’s obelisk. Drawing as fast as her hand allowed her, she sketched a couple of things in a matter of minutes, while Alya and Alix remembered what had happened to them, and the rest of the Miraculous Team, right there.       

“Can’t believe we fought our first battle right here.” -Alix said, as she remembered it.

“It seems like it was a lifetime ago, and yet, it was only a couple of months ago.”  -Alya declared, still remembering how hard it was for them to face Hawk Moth for the very first time; how excited and nervous they were to put their lives on the line; in sum, to be the heroes that Paris and the world needed. –“Can’t believe just how much things have changed.”

“You’re right… I never thought I would be friends with Chloe, let alone fight monsters to protect this city from a psycho.” -Alix sighed. –“But you know what? If I had the chance to go back in time and change all that, I wouldn’t do it. Not even for all the money in the world.” -she declared, with a smile on her face. –“I love my life… though my life could have less homework, that I wouldn’t mind it.”

Hearing her say that, Alya chuckled lightly. Deep down, she too wished that Miss Bustier would give them less homework. Of course, that would never happen, because Miss Bustier wished to prepare them properly for all kinds of challenges they would face in their future, and because they could never tell her about their secret. Still, it was a pleasant thought to have.

“Having the best teacher in the world has its perks, but it also has a couple of disadvantages.” -Alya admitted. –“Then again, we could have ended up with Miss Mendeleiev in class.”

“Tell me about it!” -Alix exclaimed. –“She’s a witch of a woman!” -she said. Once, when Miss Bustier called in sick for a week, she and the rest of the class were reassigned to other classes, and she had the bad luck of ending in Mendeleiev’s class. It took her less than five minutes to understand that she was going to hate having her for a teacher, while Miss Bustier did not come back.  

“Well, maybe not a witch, but she’s pretty bad. Everyone who’s in her class says the same thing.” -Alya said. She had never attended one of her classes, but she had heard all the stories from her students in school’s yard.

“What about you, Marinette? What do you think about old Mendeleiev?” -Alix asked the blue-haired girl, as this one continued to sketch. When she did not answer her, Alix called her again. –“Marinette?! Marinette!!”

“H-Huh, what?!” -Marinette asked, a little scared. She had been so focused on what she was doing, that when Alix called her, she almost jumped out of her skin. –“What were you saying?” -she asked her, while she tried to calm down her beating heart.        

“I was asking you, what you think about Miss Mendeleieiv… hey, is that Adrien?!” -Alix asked her, as she looked at the sketchbook, where the model Marinette had sketched bared a striking resemblance to the blond. –“It is, Adrien!”

“W-What?! N-N-No, of course not!” -Marinette panicked, hiding her sketchbook, while smiling nervously at both Alix and Alya. She did not want to do a scene like that, but her instinct was just stronger than her.  

“Oh, come on, Marinette… you don’t have to hide it from us.” -Alix said. –“Everyone knows that you have a huge crush on Adrien.” -she told her.

“Everyone, except him…” -Marinette declared. –“I mean… I don’t even know it anymore. Sometimes, I feel like he knows I have a huge crush on him, while others, I feel like he doesn’t.” -she sighed. –“I don’t know what to think anymore.”

“Oh, trust me, he knows it.” -Alix told her. –“I think that he’s just shy… have you see just how he behaves when he’s Adrien, and how he behaves when he’s… you know, a certain feline?” -she asked her.

Truth was she noticed it on the very first time he turned into Chat Noir. He acted so differently from his usual self, always flirting and winking his eyes at her, that she wondered if it was someone else under that mask. But, at the same time, she too acted differently from her usual self. Still, that did not give her a definite proof if he had feelings for her, or not.

“I have… still, that might not mean a thing.” -Marinette told her.

“I keep telling her that has to tell him about her feelings for her, but she just won’t do it.” -Alya said, while looking at Alix. –“I have lost count of the times I told her that she has to tell him, otherwise, she won’t know if he sees her as just a friend, or something more.” -she said, already knowing that Adrien was head over heels for her best friend.

“I also tell her that!” -Tikki spoke from inside the handbag.  

“I know I have to tell him about my feelings for him… but, there never seems to be the right moment.” -Marinette sighed, knowing that her words were as cliché as one could imagine, but that nevertheless, were true.

“There will never be a right or perfect time, Marinette. Life’s not a cartoon or a Disney movie, where we wait for the music to start playing, telling us that it’s the right time for something important to happen.” -Alix told her. –“Though it wouldn’t hurt if it happened, to be honest.” -she thought to herself.

“I know, I told you this before girl, but I’m going to say it once more. Sometimes, you’ve got to take the first step.” -Alya told her. –“Otherwise, if you don’t do it, you’ll keep suffering, and wondering what would happen if you had done it.” -she stated., while placing her arm around Marinette’s shoulders. –“And before you say anything, let me remind you that you don’t have to do it alone. You’ve got me, and Alix, and just about everyone in our class who would not mind helping you out. Heck, I think even Chloe would help you.”

Once again, Alya was right, as was Alix, and Marinette knew that. If she waited for the right moment to tell Adrien about her feelings, then she would never tell him a single thing. She had to take matters into her own hands, whether she liked it, or not. Still, it was easier said than done. Her natural shyness was a curse, because sometimes it made it difficult to her to interact with people, especially when it came to a certain blond boy, who happened to be both her friend and partner, when she was Ladybug. But, deep down, she was determined to ignore her shyness and tell Adrien what she felt for him. All she needed was to come up with the courage to do it.      

“You’re right… there will never be the right moment. I have to find the courage to do it, period.” -Marinette sighed.

“Then, does that mean that you will promise to talk to him, in the near future?” -Alya asked her.

“Yes. I will. I promise.” -Marinette smiled. –“ _I have to, otherwise, I’ll never know if Adrien sees me as just a friend, or something more._ ” -she thought to herself.  

“Alright. And remember, we’ll be waiting to see that happening.” -Alix told her. She believed that Adrien and Marinette would make a cute couple, and wanted that to happen. –“Now, do us a favour and shows us what you’ve been sketching there. Come on! I’m curious, and I bet Alya’s also curious.” -she asked Marinette.

“Alright, I’ll show you. But remember, it’s just a sketch.” -the blue-haired girl told her.

“Marinette, your sketches are too good to be called just sketches.” -Alya commented, while laughing. Marinette’s talent for drawing was not as good as Nathaniel’s, but that did not mean she did not have the talent to draw. After all, Nathaniel’s was used to drawing comic books, while Marinette focused on drawing clothes and accessories. –“Now, come on, show us what you already came up with, girl.”

Opening her sketchbook, Marinette showed the girls what she was working on. Inspired by the fountain and its water, she had sketched a beautiful evening dress, as well as a summer outfit, with both having water motifs in their designs. She had sketched a jacket for men, this one with its design inspired.in the fountain. Seeing them, Alya and Alix praised the designs, calling them beautiful and practical, to which Marinette blushed a little. Their kwamis, who decided to also take a quick peek at the designs, said nothing but good things about them. Upon hearing all those compliments and praises, Marinette blushed even harder. Inside her mind, she was telling herself that she would never get used to hear people praising her works. This itself, made her remember the time when she entered the contest sponsored by Gabriel Agreste, to design a derby hat, and won. The winner would see it being worn by Adrien during the next fashion show he was to attend. It was hard for her to find the design that she considered perfect, and to make matters worse, Chloe, who was still her old stuck-up and pretentious self, used her design to win the contest, just so she could brag about it. But, in the end, Marinette was able to prove that the hat’s design belonged to her, and not Chloe, which made the heiress mad about it. Plus, she also found out that Adrien was allergic to pigeon feathers, which forced her to come up with an alternative for the derby’s hat final design. It was the first time she competed, and it was also the first time she gained the courage to show her talent as a future fashion designer. And on top of that, she did get a couple of pointers from Adrien’s dad, whose work she worshipped.

“Thanks. But they’re very basic.” -Marinette smiled, as she looked at them. –“I’m still light-years away from most of my idols, including Adrien’s dad.” -she sighed, as she look

“So, what? Do you think anyone of them was a success right from the beginning? They all had to start somewhere, Marinette.” -Alya smiled at het best-friend.

“She’s right. Besides, you are ready one of the most talented people we know. And not counting Nathaniel, you are the one person in our class with the most talent to draw.” -Alix pointed out. –“One day, they might even name our school after you, instead of having it named after a fictional comic book character.” -she said.

Upon hearing that last comment from Alix, Marinette started to giggle almost uncontrollably, after which the girls also joined her. Once again, they managed to brighten up her day.    

“I’m lucky in having you as friends.” -Marinette went on giggling. –“You never let me doubt myself, even when I feel like I have all the right in the world to doubt myself.”

“It’s our job, girl.” -Alya stated.

“Indeed. You’re always there for us, so, it’s only fair that we are always there for you as well.” -Alix declared, while winking her eye at her.


	5. Just Another Saturday… or Not?

On that Friday, during class, Nathaniel had a bunch of ideas that he felt would look great on paper. Lately, he had been struggling to come up with both the right ideas and the inspiration to draw. But that suddenly changed, when an unexpected idea popped into his mind, which itself, led to other ideas; ideas which he considered to be the ones he needed for his Miraculous Team fan comic. Upon having it, his only wish was to grab a pencil and start sketching those very same ideas. But he knew that he could not do it. As much as Miss Bustier loved his drawings and encouraged him to practice his art, she did not like to see him drawing during classes.

Because of that, he had to wait until he got home. So, once the bell rang, announcing the end of the classes, he quickly placed his stuff in his backpack, said goodbye to everyone, and ran home as fast as he could. Arriving home, he quickly checked to see if his parents were home. After calling out their names two times, and not getting any response, Nathaniel quickly assumed they were not home. Going to the kitchen, he quickly grabbed a few things from the fridge to make himself a sandwich, while also grabbing something sweet for Mulan, whom he knew would want to eat a little snack. Making his way to his bedroom, where his kwami was waiting for him, he knew he had work to do.

“Thank you, Nathaniel.” -Mulan said, as he caught the little snack Nathaniel had brought him, a nougat bar. –“You were really in a hurry to get home today.” -he said, as he sat on Nathaniel’s bed. –“Did you finally have that idea you needed to continue your comic?”

“I sure did.” -Nathaniel said, as he nibbled the sandwich and sat at his desk. –“I just hope I haven’t forgotten any detail.” -he declared. –“Let me ask you something… why can’t I have these ideas, when I’m out of class? I always get my best ideas when I’m either in class, or doing something that prevents me

“It must be part of your creative process.” -Mulan told him. –“Every single artist has one.”

“You talk about it, like you know it.” -Nathaniel said, as he opened one of the drawers, taking a few pencils from inside it. –“Don’t tell me that one of your previous holders was an artist as well?” -he asked him. In all that time, Mulan had only referred to one of his previous holders, who had been a knight.

“As a matter of fact, he was.” -Mulan declared.  

“He was? So, it was a guy.” -Nathaniel chuckled. –“Who was he? Do I know his work?” -he asked him kwami, intrigued.

“Unfortunately, no.” -Mulan said. –“He was the son of a noble, back in what today is Czech Republic. His name was Jan… Jan Bolf.” -he said. –“He was a little bit like you. Very shy, but incredibly friendly. He had a natural talent for painting and sculpting.”  

“How long was he the holder of your miraculous?” -Nathaniel asked him, intrigued.

“About two years.” -Mulan said. –“It was a pretty short time, back in the 16th century.”

“But, how do you know he didn’t become famous?” -Nathaniel asked him. –“There are a lot of painters and sculptures from that part of Europe, who are not known by most people in this part of Europe, especially if they lived almost 500 years ago.” -he declared.

“I did a bit of research online, and I couldn’t find anything about him, or about his work.” -Mulan told him. –“It’s quite possible that he might have died young, or that his work was destroyed.” –he admitted the possibility. –“People died quite young back then.”

Even if Nathaniel did not want to admit it, his kwami was right. People tended to die extremely young because of the numerous diseases of which there was no known cure at the time. A flu or a common cold was as deadly as an infection caused by rusty blade or the lack of hygiene; not to mention there were numerous other ways one could lose its life.  

“It’s true.” -Nathaniel waved his head. –“But, maybe he decided to pursue another interest and stopped making art, and lived a good life, nonetheless.” -he said, trying to cheer Mulan up.

“Perhaps.” -Mulan smiled. If there was one thing Mulan liked about Nathaniel, was that he had the power to see the light, even in the darkest situations, and by doing that, he managed to cheer anyone up, when they needed the most. The only thing he was sad about, was that he was sometimes too shy to be able to do just that.  

“Anyways, you were talking about the creative process…” -Nathaniel said, trying to change the subject.

“Oh, yes. You see, Jan was a bit like you. He only had good ideas, or ideas he believed were good when he was under s lot of stress, or when he was doing something that required his full attention.” -Mulan told Nathaniel. –“In many ways, you’re like him, or he was like you. You only have great ideas, when you aren’t trying to have them.” -he smiled.      

“You can say that again.” -Nathaniel smiled back at him. –“That’s both annoying and fantastic at the same time, you know? -he declared.

“Why is that?” -Mulan asked him, curious, as he bit a sizable chink from the nougat bar.

“Because, most of the times, when I get an idea that I think it’s brilliant, I can’t draw it, right away.” -Nathaniel said, as he began drawing on his sketch board. Before trying to sketch it on his laptop, he did what he always did, test the idea on paper, to see if it looked good. And if it turned out alright, he would pass it on to his laptop. –“I hate when that happens, and today’s idea is awesome.”

“What’s it about?” -Mulan asked him, intrigues. The way Nathaniel’s eyes were sparkling right then, he knew it had to be a really good idea.

“Basically, I came up with an idea for the fourth issue of my webcomic….” -Nathaniel said, before he was interrupted by Mulan.

“Fourth? I thought you were still working on the second issue.”

“And I am. But I’ve been also working on possible ideas for the next couple of issues, and well, this one, I decided it would be perfect for the fourth issue.” -Nathaniel said. –“Basically, I came up with an idea where we see ourselves face to face, with alternative versions of ourselves.”

“Alternative versions? Alternative how?” -Mulan asked him, not fully understanding what he was talking about.

“Well, in comic books of sci-fi novels, sometimes the writers need to take a break from the regular stories, where heroes fight bad guys and vice-versa, and in order to do that, sometimes they come up with a plot device, where a character meets another version of itself, either from an alternate future or another dimension.” -Nathaniel explained the concept to Mulan.

“Oh, I see… then, are these versions from the future, or another dimension? Are they good, or are they bad?”

“Well, they’ll be good, but I’m going to write them in a way that people will start by thinking they are evil… and here’s the best part. These alternative versions of us, only five of us will have the miraculouses that we have now… the others, will have the Zodiac miraculouses.”-Nathaniel answered him, while continuing to sketch the first of the alternate versions of the team. –“And even those who of us who still have the miraculouses they have in real life, they will look absolutely different.” -he said.

The idea itself sounded incredible to Mulan, who was impressed by it. He had seen Nathaniel having good ideas for comic books, but this was by far the best one yet. 

“And who are the ones who are going to retain the same miraculouses? I bet you’re one of them.” -Mulan declared.

“Nope, sorry Mulan, but I’m not one of them.” -Nathaniel said. –“I decided that the ones who are going to keep the same miraculouses will be Marinette, Adrien, Nino, Alya and Chloe.”

“But why them?” -Mulan asked him, curious about the choice.

“Well… I don’t really know. I haven’t come up with the reason to be them, you know? I just felt that they should be the ones.” -Nathaniel told him. –“Still, whatever the reason is, I’ll come up with one, as I develop this idea.” -he said.

“I just feel that you should be one of the few who gets to keep his mirasculous… plus, don’t tell anyone, but I’ve given you the coolest powers in the whole team.” -Mulan whispered to him.

“Maybe, but by not having my miraculous, I get to decide which other miraculous, and of, which new powers I’ll have in the comic.” -Nathaniel told him, as he stopped sketching to sharpen the pencil he was using. –“Think about it. I could be holder of any other miraculous and its power.” -he said, as he placed the pencil-sharpener down and went back to sketching.

“Well… maybe, but they’ll never be as cool as mine.” -Mulan told him, which made him laugh.

“That’s because, you are one in a million, Mulan.” -Nathaniel declared. –“And between you and me, if I was given the chance to choose another miraculous and another kwami, I would say no.”

“Oh, you really are one in a million.” -Mulan smiled, while flew over Nathaniel and hugged him.

“So are you, Mulan.” -Nathaniel told his kwami.

Five minutes later, Nathaniel finished the first sketch. Looking at it, he was quite pleased with what he had accomplished. It was still a rough design, but it showed a lot of promise. If the remaining designs came out half as good as that first one, then, he was going to have a lot of work ahead of him. Luckily, if that happened, it was a good thing the following day was Saturday, and he did not have to go to bed early.    

“So, who’s the first one of these alternative versions that you are working on?” -Mulan asked Nathaniel. The redhead had not let the red-panda kwami see it clearly before he finished it.

“I started with the first one I thought about… meet Bunnix, Alix’s alternative version, holder of the rabbit miraculous.” -Nathaniel said, as he showed the drawing to Mulan, who looked impressed with the design.

You could see that it still looked a lot like Alix, when she was Dragonfly, but different at the same time. Nathaniel told Mulan that he was thinking that when he coloured it, he was thinking of using white and blue, which he thought would look cool. He also told the kwami that he was thinking about making her miraculous a pocket watch, and when it came to her weapon, perhaps an umbrella that would double as a sword.  

“Nahtaniel Kurtzberg, you’re a genius.” -Mulan smiled, still amazed with what he had drawn. –“If the rest of the characters look as great as this one, I think your webcomic is going to be one of the best there is.” -he said.  

“Thanks, but I still have a long way to go, before any of this is ready.” -Nathaniel admitted. –“I still have to finish two more issues, and I need to keep working on the remaining concept.” -he told Mulan.

“Well, you’re going to make it. With that talent of yours, you are halfway there already.” -the red-panda kwami told Nathaniel, who replied to him with a smile.   

* * *

The clock stroke 10 o’clock when Marinette opened her eyes. Still, she was feeling too sleepy to even ponder the hypothesis of getting out of bed that morning. Saturday was probably her favourite day of the week, because it meant that she did not have to go to school or get up early. On top of that, her perfumed sheets, combined with her soft pillows and her incredibly comfy mattress, were a powerful reason for her to not want to get out of bed right then. Plus, she had been sketching new ideas until 2 in the morning, and felt she deserved, but most importantly, she needed a few more minutes in bed. Closing her eyes, she once again made her way to dreamland, where she hoped she could finish living the dream she was having, before she opened her eyes. And this dream was one of her favourites. It was the one where she and Adrien were happily married, with three kids and a hamster, and the best part was that every time she had it, it always ended the same way, the two of them sitting by a porch, watching their kids playing on the garden, while the two of them shared a glass of champagne. It was a dream that Marinette had so many times, since she fell in love with Adrien, that she already knew it by heart and did not mind having at least two times a week.

But when she fell asleep again, instead of continuing that dream she was having, she had another one. This one was probably were third favourite and involved all her friends, and of course, Adrien. It was the one where they went to an amusement park, only to find out that this one was abandoned. But instead of just leaving, they decide to explore it, only to find that was being used by a gang of thieves, who are looking for a hidden treasure in some caverns, located underneath the amusement park. In it, they find a way to defeat the thieves, after managing to find the treasure, and are then escorted back to a city where they are held as heroes. She was absolutely sure that she constantly had this dream because of all the times she watched The Goonies, before going to sleep. Still, she did not mind having it, because in it, she was always paired with Adrien, who was always there to protect her.

Unfortunately, like it happened with the first one, she was not allowed to finish the second one either. In the dream, Marinette, along with Adrien, Rose and Ivan had just entered in the Fun House, when she began hearing someone calling her name. This, of course, never happened in the dream. And the voice felt oddly familiar, but it was not the voice of any of her friends… it was the voice of her mother.  

“Marinette! Marinette, honey, time to get up.” -Sabine said, as she entered Marinette’s bedroom, to wake her up. It was almost 11 o’clock, and even for a Saturday, that was  

“Mmm… mom…” -Marinette said, as she lazily opened her eyes, realizing it had been her mom’s voice she was hearing in the dream, and that she was there to wake her up. -W-What time is it?” -she asked with a rather groggy voice.     

“It’s nearly 11 in the morning. Come on, Marinette. It’s such a beautiful day outside. You can’t just spend your day in bed.” -Sabine told her with a caring voice.

“Okay, I‘m… getting up…” -Marinette said, dragging her voice. She really did not want to get up, but she knew that if she did not, her mother would get upset.

“Alright. Remember, I’ve left you something sweet in the kitchen.” -Sabine told her in her usual caring voice. –“Oh, and also remember, your grandmother is coming this afternoon, after lunch, so be sure to clean your bedroom, sweetie.” -she said, as she closed the trapdoor, behind her.

When she heard her mother saying that her grandmother was coming to visit them, she nearly panicked. She had completely forgotten all about it. Throwing her sheets to the side, she jumped out of bed, knowing she had too many things to do before her grandmother arrived. The noise she made, while climbing down from her bed was enough to wake up Tikki, who was still asleep. Like Marinette, she also stayed up late, helping her out, by giving her suggestions and chatting with her, so she would not fall asleep in front of the desk. Hearing Marinette walking from side to side, clearly in panic, she asked her what was going on.  

“Marinette?” -Tikki asked, as she stretched her arms and yawned. –“What’s going on? Is there something wrong?” -the scarlet kwami asked the blue-haired girl, who looked a little too agitated for her own good.

“I’ve got to hurry, Tikki! Grandma Gina is coming to visit, and I have to clean up my room.” -Marinette answered her, as she opened the curtains, letting the light enter through the windows and illuminate the bedroom.

“She’s coming? I don’t remember you mentioning it.” -Tikki declared, trying to remember her saying something about it.

“That’s because when my parents told me, you were probably sleeping, and I totally forgot to tell you about it, just like I forgot she was coming today.” -Marinette answered her, as she opened the top drawer from her to pick a blouse to wear that day. –“There are so many things I need to do. I need to take a shower, fix my hair, get dressed, eat what my mom has left me in the kitchen, then come back here, do my bed, clean up the bedroom… it’s so many things!” -she said, clearly in panic.         

Once more, Marinette was panicking, and though she had a good reason to be in panic, Tikki felt there was no need for her to be panicking. Sighing, the scarlet kwami quickly flew to where the girl was and did her best to calm her down, with a smile on her face. By then, she had already learned the best way to calm her holder down, when she was stressing and that was to talk to her with a soothing voice, while smiling tenderly at her.   

“Calm down, Marinette.” -Tikki told her.

“I can’t, Tikki! There’s so much to do, and…”

“Marinette, listen.” -Tikki said, as she looked her in the eyes. –“We still have time, okay? I know you are nervous and that there are lots of things to do before your grandmother arrives, but we still have time… Look, just jump into the shower, that in the meantime, I’ll help you, by making your bed and fixing your desk.” -she said. –“Don’t worry. Just take a shower and relax. Between you and me, we’ll have your bedroom cleaned in no time.” 

“Okay, Tikki.” -Marinette smiled nervously. She wanted to believe that  

“Believe me. A shower is what you need to calm down.” -Tikki said, as she flew up to Marinette’s bed.

Closing the bathroom door behind her, Marinette wasted no time in taking down her clothes and entering the bathtub, hoping that a shower was what she so desperately needed. And just like Tikki had told her; all Marinette really needed was a shower to calm down her nerves. As the water cascaded down her body, combined with the steam that was then spreading all over the bathroom, and around her, she felt relaxed and calm. Once more, Tikki had hit the jackpot with one of her ideas. As she let the warm water massage her shoulders and back, she wondered how come something so simple could be so therapeutic? She did not know, but she did not care either. She was just happy that it worked and that it was making her not think about all the things she still had to do.

“ _Tikki did it again… she knows exactly what to do and say to a person, when she sees herself in trouble._ ” -the blue-haired girl thought to herself, as she washed her hair.

Marinette became so relaxed, that without realizing it, she began to hum a song she had heard the night before, while washing her hair. And when she realized she was doing it, she hummed even louder. She had read somewhere that singing and humming while in the bath, was a good way to release all the negative energies and stresses one had inside its mind. Once she finished removing the last trace of soap from her hair and body, she turned off the water and reached for her towel. Exiting the bathtub, she then grabbed her hair towel, and quickly began to dry her hair with it.

“ _Note to self… from now on, every time I feel nervous or stressed, if I can, I’ll take a shower to calm myself down._ ” -Marinette thought to herself, as she inhaled the steam that was around her.

Exiting the bathroom, the blue-haired caught her kwami cleaning the dust from one of the bookshelves with the help of the feather duster Marinette kept around for such emergencies, though this was proving to be a bit of a challenge for her. Because the handle was so long, Tikki was using most of her strength to just keep it straight, without dropping it. She also noticed that she had already done her bed, cleaned her desk and had picked up some of the clothes Marinette had taken from the drawer, when choosing what she was going to wear that day, and putting them back in their place. For such a tiny creature, Tikki had managed to do a lot in just a couple of minutes.     

“Feeling better?” -Tikki asked her, as Marinette came out of the bathroom.

“Much better, thank you.” -Marinette told her. –“Once again, you saved me from going completely bonkers, Tikki.” -she giggled.

“My pleasure, as always.” -Tikki said. –“I’m just happy I can help you out.”

“Well, then let me just get dressed and doing my hair, that I will help you out too. This is my room after all, and well, it’s my duty to clean it up.” -Marinette told her.

And just as she promised, once she finished doing her hair, Marinette helped Tikki clean up the rest of the bedroom. Cleaning the dust, putting every single pair of shoes she had laying around in its proper place, doing the laundry, tidying the area around the sewing machine, between the two of them, they took a lot less time to do it all than Marinette had thought it would take. The last thing that left to do was vacuuming the bedroom. But before taking care of it, the two stopped to catch their breath, with Marinette going to the kitchen and grab what her mom had left her to eat, before lunch; two orange-jelly filled croissants, which she shared with Tikki, who like her, was starving.

“Mmm… these are so good.” -Tikki said, as she took another bite from her croissant.

“Dad really makes the best croissants in Paris.”  -Marinette declared.

“He sure does.” -Tikki agreed. –“By the way, I just realized that with your grandmother coming to visit, that means that she’ll be taking you somewhere today. Where do you think she’s taking you today?” -she asked Marinette. Whenever Gina came to visit, she insisted on taking her favourite granddaughter somewhere, so they could spend sometime together, where Marinette would usually tell her what  

“I don’t know… but wherever it is, I’m sure I’m going to love it, Tikki.” –Marinette said, as she finished her croissant. –“I just wished she wasn’t always travelling. Ever since she retired, she has been travelling around the world almost non-stop, and that means I don’t get to see her as much as I did.” -she sighed. She missed the days when she spent the afternoon, and sometimes the night at Gina’s place, along with Alya, and had their sleepovers there, under the old woman’s supervision.  

“She does travel a lot.” -Tikki said –“But what matter is that when she comes back, she always has tons of stories to tell, and that she never forgets you.” -the little kwami pointed out. -“Remind me where she went before Christmas?”

“She went to Moscow.” -Marinette reminded her. –“And she managed to come back in time for Christmas Eve.” -she smiled. –“I still can’t believe that she did what she did, just to arrive at our doorstep in time for dinner.”

“And what about after? My memory is a little fuzzy today. I remember her saying that after New Year’s Eve, she was going on another trip… but where?” -Tikki tried to remember it.

“Germany. She told me she was going to tour the whole country, starting in Berlin.” -Marinette told her. –“And if she’s coming to visit today, is because she has finished that trip.”

“I bet she’s bringing you huge present.” -Tikki smiled, imagining what kind of present it would be.

“I don’t know. I mean, the best present my grandmother could give me is her presence.” -Marinette declared. –“But, if she wants to bring me something from her trip, I won’t say no to it.” -she admitted, with a naughty smile on her lips.

“They say memories are the best present one can give to anyone.” -Tikki told her.

“If that’s the case, then, I already have a ton of them… and I want even more, so that one day, when she’s no longer among us, I can think of those memories and remember just how happy I was with my grandmother around me.” -Marinette sighed happily.  

* * *

During lunch, Adrien asked Nathalie if it was okay for him to go skating with his friends. She, of course, immediately asked him which friends was he going to meet, how long was he planning to stay out, and if he had finished his homework. And after the stunt he pulled the day before, when he gave his bodyguard the slip, he was already expecting something like that to happen. When he arrived home the day before, she did not reprimand him or anything, but warned him that if he did something like that again, that she would tell his dad about it.

“And who are these friends you’re going to meet?” -Nathalie asked Adrien, as he finished eating.

“Nino, Kim and Alix. You know all of them, Nathalie.” -Adrien smiled.

“And are you going to stay out until much late?” -Nathalie inquired him.

“No. I’ll be home before sunset.” –Adrien replied.

“I see. And, can I expect that you have finished your homework, and that if I check them out, I will see that they are all done, right?” -Nathalie asked him.

“Absolutely.” -Adrien said with a determined smile. He had spent the best part of the morning doing them, so Nathalie would not be able to use them against him, as an excuse to stay home that afternoon.

“Very well. I trust you’re telling the truth.” -Nathalie declared in a serious tone.  

“Then, does that mean I can go?” -Adrien asked, always smiling.

“You can. But your bodyguard is taking you to meet them, and he’s going to pick you up later.” -Nathalie told him.

Adrien was not in the mood to have Gorilla driving him anywhere, even if it was just for a little bit. He knew he was just doing his job, but even so, he felt like he did not need a bodyguard or a chauffeur that afternoon… or any other afternoon. Still, even knowing that Nathalie would not let him go alone, thanks to the little stunt he did the previous day, he tried to convince her otherwise.

“Can’t I really go alone?” -Adrien asked her.

“After what you did yesterday, I don’t think so.” -Nathalie told him, with a serious look on her face. –“You’re lucky I won’t tell your father what you did. If he knew, he would be most displeased with it.”       

“And I thank you for that, Nathalie, I really do.” -Adrien declared. He knew that if she told his dad what had happened, he would be grounded, for at least a month. 

“You can thank me, by letting your bodyguard do his job, which is to protect you.” -Nathalie told him. Unknown to her boss, Nathalie went behind his back, and made a deal with Adrien. She would tell Gorilla to only go and pick up Adrien after classes, three times a week, two of which after his fencing lessons, allowing Adrien to have some space to do what he wanted, given that he would always have his cell phone near him, and call if there was an emergency. –“And for your own good, you won’t try to pull another similar stunt for at least a couple of months.” -she told him. –“I understand that you want to behave like kids your age, but you need to remember, that you aren’t like most kids your age.”

“ _She’s got a point… there are only 13 other kids who happened to have a miraculous. I clearly am not like most kids my age._ ” -Adrien joked to himself, even though he knew that was not what she was talking about.

“You are the son of one of the richest people in Paris, Adrien. Not only that, but you are also a world-renowned model, whose face is plastered all over the town.” -Nathalie said. –“The probabilities of you might end up hurt, or worst, are very high, even though this city is relatively safe.” -she said.  

“Maybe, but my friend Chloe is just as rich and just as known as I am, and she doesn’t have a bodyguard, always following her.” –Adrien politely pointed it out. –“ _Plus, it’s not like I can’t defend myself._ ” -he thought to himself.  

“Yes, I know that. But that is her parents’ decision, Adrien.” -Nathalie told him. –“Try to understand that your father only does this because he cares very much about you..” -she stated, with a caring voice.   

And once more, Adrien knew Nathalie was right. All of that was because his father was afraid something bad might happen to him. If only he could tell him that he did not have to worry about it, because he was one of the members of the Miraculous Team, and as such, he could take care of himself… but that would never happen. In fact, Adrien believed that if told his father about his secret, the first thing Gabriel Agreste would do was to forbid him from ever using his powers again, and most likely lock him up in his room, until the end of the century.

“Alright, Nathalie, I understand. Now, can I go and get my rollerblades, so I can go meet Nino and the others?” -Adrien asked her.

“Yes, you can. I’ll tell your bodyguard to also get ready to leave.” -Nathalie smiled, as she made her way to the living room.

“Okay. See you in five minutes.” -Adrien said, as he went to his bedroom.

* * *

“Took you long enough to have lunch.” –Plagg protested, as Adrien entered in the bedroom, closing the door behind him.  

“While you on the other hand, wasted no time in eating a whole Camembert cheese.” -Adrien chuckled.

“You’ve got to start buying me Camembert from the brand your chef has in the pantry.” -Plagg told him. –“I don’t mind eating the brand you buy for me, but the other is so much better.” -he declared.

“Or maybe you’ve to start getting used to the brand I get you.” -Adrien told him.

“I’ll think about it… not!” -Plagg said. –“What do you think? That a kwami such as me would prefer to eat second-rate Camembert cheese, instead of top quality Camembert? Well, think again!” -he told Adrien. –“Anyways, did you manage to convince Nathalie to let you go skating?”

“It wasn’t easy, but I managed to convince her.” -Adrien said, as he went to his wardrobe, to get his rollerblades. –“Still, after last afternoon’s stunt, I’ll have to keep a low profile for the next couple of weeks.”

“Did you try to explain you don’t need a bodyguard?” -Plagg asked him.

“I did… but it was a bust.”

“So, we’re going to have that big fatso as our shadow, for the rest of the day?” -Plagg sighed, annoyed at the idea of having Gorilla watching every little move Adrien did.  

“No. He’s just going to drive us to where Nino and the others will be waiting for us.” -Adrien declared. –“By the way, last night we didn’t agree on the place we were going to meet. Did any of them texted me with the place?”

“Oh, yeah, they did. I completely forgot to tell you.” -Plagg said, realizing his mistake. –“Kim texted you about ten minutes ago, saying that we’re meeting in Trocadero. I texted him back saying it was okay.” -he told the blonde, while this one placed his rollerblades inside his backpack.   

“First time trying them, but I’ve got a feeling that with them, I’ll be able to at least beat Kim in a race.”

“What about Alix? Don’t tell me you’re going to let her win you?” -Plagg asked him, rising his eyebrow.  

“Plagg… don’t you know that a gentleman always allows the lady to win?” -Adrien smirked, as he grabbed his backpack.  

“Not really… and I guess that Kim isn’t a gentleman at all, since he’s always trying to beat Alix in a race.” -Plagg said. –“And he has won her a couple of times too.” -he pointed out.

“Yeah, but Kim is different… I mean, his relationship with Alix is different from the rest of the relationships we all have with her.” -Adrien commented. –“He’s in love with her, even if he doesn’t admit it.”

“Like you are in love with Marinette?” -Plagg teased him a bit.

“Sort of…” -Adrien sighed. –“In his case, I think it’s a little easier, because you can tell that Alix’s in love with him, as much as he is with her.” -he said. –“Either way, it’s not the time to discuss those things. It’s time to go skating. Jump in, Plagg.”

Saying that, Plagg dashed towards the pocket in Adrien’s jacket. Once he saw his kwami was comfortable, Adrien made his way downstairs. Closing his bedroom door behind him, he asked himself, while making his way through the corridor, what kind of stunts would they try to do that day. Usually, whenever they went skating, they would spend half the time doing just that, while the other half, they would power-up and take the whole thing up the next level. And on that day, there was no reason for him to think they would do it any other way.

As he reached the door that led to the foyer’s staircase, he immediately heard Nathalie’s voice. She was talking to Gorilla, who just like her, was waiting on him. Going down the staircase, he heard the last part of Nathalie’s speech. Gorilla just stood there, listening to what she had to tell him.    

“Oh, there you are.” -Nathalie said, when she noticed Adrien coming down the stairs.

“Yup. I’m ready to go.” -Adrien smiled at her.

“Remember, don’t do anything reckless.” -Nathalie told Adrien. –“And you, make sure that Adrien is left in good hands, before you come back.” -she told Gorilla, who silently nodded with his head.

Adrien looked at Gorilla and smiled. As for Gorilla, this one’s face did not move a single muscle. The teenager figured that he was still a little bit upset with him, even though he would never say it. Adrien was about to head to the door, when the doorbell rang.

“Could it be my dad?” -Adrien asked Nathalie.  

“I don’t think so. Your father has told me that he would only come home a little before dinner time.” -Nathalie told Adrien, as the doorbell rang once more. –“I’ll get it.” -she said, as she made her way to the door.  

As her hand reached for the door handle, Nathalie wondered who would be ringing at the door. The first thing she did was to discard the hypothesis of being her boss, as Gabriel would always warn her, if he was coming home earlier. Another hypothesis was that Nina had come to retrieve a document she had forgotten. But if that was the case, she would have called Nathalie in advance, to tell her she was coming. Opening the door, Nathalie was surprised by whom she saw at the door. In fact, she was not surprised, she was speechless. One second, she was fine, the other, she became white as a sheet, as if she had seen a ghost, which right then, she believed she was seeing. Standing in front of her, was a fair-skinned woman with blond hair kept in a side ponytail and green eyes. She also had thin lips, a small nose, thin eyebrows and a pointy chin. When it came to her clothes, she was wearing a white blouse with a cerulean jacket worn over it, matching cerulean business pants and a pair of white high-heel shoes.

“M-Mrs. Agreste?!” -Nathalie stuttered.

“M-Mom?!” -Adrien asked, absolutely shocked.


	6. A Visit from the Past

Unlike the day before, where the sky was a bit cloudy and the wind kept blowing, that Saturday promised to be the polar opposite of it. In the sky, there was not a single cloud, and the wind was nothing more than a breeze. In sum, it was the perfect weather to be outside and enjoy that beautiful afternoon. Things at the Place du Trocadero were calm. The square, like always, was filled with tourists and locals who came there to appreciate the magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower. Still, the sizable size of the square made it possible for large groups to be in it, without a person having to worry about going against another by accident. That was one of the worries any decent skater would have, when choosing a place to practice its tricks and stunts. And Nino, Kim and Alix had been skating long enough to know that, and that place was perfect for them. And if that was not enough, they just needed to go down the staircase, and they would have an entire track, on where to race.   

But right then, the only thing they cared about, was to know why Adrien was taking so long to come and meet them. It had been almost 20 minutes since they had all arrived, and there was no sign of Adrien, and that made them wonder why he was running late, especially, since usually he was the first one to arrive.  

“Where is Adrien?”” -Kim sighed, annoyed with his friend’s lateness. –“He should have arrived by now.” -he said, as he checked his watch for what looked like the umpteenth time.

“I don’t know… but one thing I can tell you. Staring at the watch, like you’ve been doing for the past fifteen minutes, won’t make time go faster, or make him show up faster either.” -Alix told Kim, as she too checked the time on her pocket watch. This one was a very special family heirloom, which her dad had given her for her birthday. And by special, one might say that was actually unique. That pocket watch was no ordinary pocket watch, though it looked like one. It was a holographic watch, developed and created by Alix’s great-great grandfather, using technology way ahead of his time. She usually did not wear it, unless it was a special occasion, afraid that it might get broken or stolen, but on that day, her cell phone, for some reason was not displaying the hours as it should, and all other watches she possessed were either broken or did not have any batteries. –“But you’re right, he’s taking too long. It’s not like him to be this late.”

“Maybe something happened to him?” -Daria asked her, as his little head popped from the pocket in Alix’s jeans, where he was hiding.

“Let’s hope not.” -Alix told her kwami.

“I’ll try and call him.” -Nino said, as he grabbed his cell phone.

Dialling the number, he waited for his friend to answer the phone. But this did not happen. Adrien did not answer his call. Thinking that he might have not heard the phone ringing the first time, he tried calling him again. But once again, he did not answer it.

“Either he’s not near his phone, or he left it at home, because he’s not picking up.” -Nino said, as he ended the call. –“Are you sure you texted him the right place?”

“Of course, I did! Do you want to check the text I sent him with your own eyes?!” -Kim asked him, a little bit offended with that question.,  

“No, that’s not needed. I trust you.” -Nino told Kim. –“It’s just that you could have written the place wrong, or think that you sent the message, when you accidentally didn’t.” -he said.

“But that’s neither the case. I checked it already: the text was sent and I wrote the place we were supposed to meet right.” -Kim protested. 

“Whatever… that doesn’t change the fact that he’s running late.” -Alix sighed. –“Maybe we should just put on our rollerblades and do a couple of stunts. You know, a little warm-up, until he gets here.” -she suggested, as she grabbed her backpack and prepared to unzip it and take out her rollerblades and her helmet.

“No, we wait for him, Alix.” -Nino told her. –“If it was you who was running late, and he was the one waiting for you to show up, he would wait until you get here to put on the blades and start skating.” -he warned her. –“It wouldn’t be fair to him. We’ve got to give him time to get here.”

“Oh, alright, we’ll wait.” -Alix sighed, as she sat on the ground. –“But he better hurry. He knows that if there’s one thing I hate, is to wait.” -she remembered Nino. For her, waiting was the worst thing one could subject her to. –“Oh, hold on, it might be him.

Though Alix’s cell phone was not displaying the rime correctly, it still received calls and texts, without a hitch, and by the sound of it, she had just received a text. Opening it, she saw that this one was a text not from Adrien, but from her older brother, Jalil.

“So?” -Kim asked her.

“False alarm. It was a text from my brother telling me to warn my mom that they won’t get home until late at night.” -Alix told him. –“Ever since that exhibit arrived at the Louvre, they hardly stay at home.” -she sighed.

“What exhibit? The Egyptian one that is going to open in a couple of days?” -Nino asked her. He had seen a few posters of it already, where it was announced as the most amazing exhibit of Ancient Egyptian relics ever.

“Yeah, that one.” -Alix nodded with her head. –“It’s a really big deal and my dad is putting every bit of strength he has, both physical and psychological, into making sure that it is a success, especially since it’s on loan from the <museum of Cairo. And the same thing goes for my brother, who’s helping him out.” -she said.

“Well, I bet it’s going to be a success.” -Nino told her. –“Do you think you can ask one of them to get us free tickets for it?”

“Yeah, it would be cool. I mean, you know I’m not a very big fan of museums, but I kinda dig a big of Egyptology and all those stories about curses and all.” -Kim admitted.

“I’m surprised you even know how to pronounce Egyptology, you big lunkhead.” -Alix playfully shot at Kim, and though that had been an insult, he knew she was just messing with him. –“But sure, I think I can ask them to get me some tickets for you and the rest of the class.” -she smiled.        

Shortly after she finished talking, Nino’s cell phone rang, warning him that he had received a text. Quickly checking it, what he read made him both sad and curious at the same time.

“Looks like he’s not coming.” -Nino told Alix and Kim.

“Say what?!” -Kim asked Nino. –“Not coming? But did say why he’s not coming?”

“Not exactly. According to his text, something very important came up, and he’s not coming.” -Nino answered him.

“I wonder what could have happened… it’s not like Adrien to cancel things at the last minute.” -Alix said.

“Maybe his dad didn’t like what the two of you did to his bodyguard yesterday, and he decided to ground him.” -Kim told Nino.  

“If that was the case, then he would have been grounded yesterday, and last night, he would have not agreed to come meet us. Plus, when you texted him, instead of texting you that he was on his way, he would have told you that he would not be able to come.” -Nino commented.  

“Nino has a point.” -Alix agreed with him. –“Whatever happened, it must have been something very important for him deciding to not come skating with us.” -she declared.

“Indeed… I wonder what could have happened?” -Nino asked out loud, wondering what could have made his best-friend stay home.

* * *

At the Agreste Manor, Nathalie still had not recovered from the shock of everything that was happening. Truthfully, none of the people in the manor had recovered from the shock, and as she headed to kitchen to make some tea for the unexpected visitor that was now with Adrien in the living room, the only thing in her mind, was what had happened mere minutes before.

(Flashback)

_“I’m afraid not, Nathalie. Though I understand why you might think I’m actually my sister, who came back from the dead.” -the woman told Nathalie, who was still in shock. –“It’s been a long time since I came to this house. You hardly changed a bit… but Adrien… you certainly changed a lot since the last time I saw you.” -she said_

_“A-Aunt Elodie?” -Adrien asked the woman. Just like it happened with Nathalie, at first, Adrien thought he was seeing a ghost. And then, inside his head, it was like a button had been pushed, reminding him of something he had forgotten about, and that was that his late mother had a sister, a twin sister._

_“Yes… it’s been too long, my little boy.” -Elodie smiled at her nephew. –“You’ve grown so much, since the last time I saw you.” -she told him, always smiling, before turning her attention to Nathalie once again. –“So, are you going to invite me in, or are we going to just stand here at the door?”_

_“Uh… o-of course. Come in, please.” -Nathalie told her, as her brain tried to process what was going on. –“Mr. Agreste is not going to like this… but I just can’t leave her, standing at the entrance.” -she thought to herself._

(End of flashback)

And while Nathalie took care of the tea, in the living room, Adrien sat with his aunt. The boy was still in a bit of a shock and did not know how to act around Elodie. And who could blame him? Finding out, or perhaps remembering that he had an aunt who was his mother’s twin sister, of whom his father or any of the house staff had ever told him about, was something absolutely unexpected and unreal. The last time he had felt a bit like that, was when he received his miraculous and met his kwami, and even then, it was absolutely different from that. Still, he tried to keep his cool and take one step at the time. If he had learned one thing from being Chat Noir and saving the city almost every week, was that one must keep calm, even in the strangest possible situations.

“I see that your father hasn’t changed the decoration, since the last time I was here.” -Elodie told Adrien, as she looked around. The décor was the same one her sister had chosen for the house. In a way, Elodie felt like she was inside a mausoleum, where time had stopped, a long time ago.

“Yes. Dad says that it matches the house’s unique style.” -Adrien told her, a little unease with what was going on, right then. 

The whole scene looked absolutely surreal to Adrien. Looking at his aunt, he saw both her and his mother, and that felt incredibly strange. He knew it was his aunt who was standing in front of him, but he could not help to feel that it was not her, but his mom. And to make matters worse, he was trying to understand how could he have forgotten that he had an aunt, an aunt who was his mother’s twin sister? That was something a person would not forget about, or so he believed. It was just too much for him to process right then, and he was trying his best not to faint, with everything that was going on in his head. Elodie, who was already expecting this kind of reaction from her nephew, wondered if she should start the conversation, or wait for him to start it. When she realized that it was going to be a bit before the shock he was in, disappeared, Elodie decided that perhaps, it was best if it was her to begin the conversation.      

“Adrien, are you sure you’re alright?” -Elodie asked her nephew, who was still looked as white as a sheet.

“I-I’m alright…” -Adrien told her. Deep down, he did not want her to get worried.  

“Are you sure? Because you don’t look like it.” -Elodie declared, as she looked him in the eyes.

And she was right, he did not look alright, or felt alright, right then. In his mind, he was struggling to understand how could someone forget someone who looked just like his mom? And no matter how much he thought about it, he could not think of a suitable answer to that question. One moment, he did not remember Elodie, and on the next one, as soon as he heard her voice, which was slightly different from his mom’s voice, he remembered everything about her, favourite colour, favourite food, everything he could remember of her. That was strange, to say the least, and for someone who led a double life like he did, and had seen enough strangeness for a lifetime already, that was saying something.    

“I-It’s just that I…” -Adrien hesitated.

“That you thought that I was your mother, right?” -Elodie asked him.

“Y-Yes.” -Adrien answered her.

“To be fairly honest, the first thing I thought that you were going to think, when you saw me, was that I was her.” -Elodie admitted.

“B-But it’s not just that… it’s… how come I didn’t recognize you when I first saw you, and thought you were my mom?” -Adrien asked her. –“I mean, I know my mom is…” -he needed a couple of seconds to finish the sentence. –“… is dead, and that dead people don’t come back to life. So, why it took me a couple of seconds for me to realize it was not her, but you, whom I didn’t remember at all? I don’t even remember my dad mentioning you.”

“Well, it’s really complicated.” -Elodie admitted. –“I would be lying if I told you that it’s not complicated.” -she said.

“Aunt Elodie, I don’t care how complicated things are. I need to know everything.” -Adrien told her.  

Elodie was about to speak, when Nathalie entered in the living room, carrying a tray with a teapot and two cups. The aroma of lemon and ginger was in the air. Whenever Nathalie was the one preparing the tea, she would always prepare lemon tea, with a slight touch of ginger. Placing it on the coffee table, she excused herself, after Adrien and Elodie thanked her for the tea. Silently, Elodie poured the tea in the cups, and then asked Adrien if he wanted sugar, to which he said no. While this all happened, Plagg was inside the inside pocket of Adrien’s jacket, without being able to move or say a word. All of what was happening was as surreal to him, as it was for Adrien.

“ _His mom has a twin sister and he didn’t remember about it? This is unexpected…_ ” -Plagg thought to himself. –“ _And here I thought, the only thing I would have to worry this afternoon, would be to listen to Wayzz acting like he’s the smartest kwami around, and deciding if I was going to prank either Daria or Imp…_ ” -he sighed to himself.

“I know this can’t be easy, but we’ve got time. So, if you don’t mind, before we start with the big questions, maybe we could chit-chat for a bit, you know? Your mom and I did that all the time, when we had something important to talk about. It was our way to break the ice, before a big conversation.” -Elodie told him, to which Adrien asserted with his head. After all, with what was going on, it was preferable to take things slowly. –“I noticed that you were on your way out, when I arrived.” -she said. –“Where were you going?”

“Me? Oh, I was going to meet my friends and go skating with them.” -Adrien answered, as he stirred the tea in his cup, waiting for it to cool a little, before drinking it.

“Skating, huh?” -Elodie smiled.

“Y-Yeah… I’m not the best skater in the world, but I do like to skate once in a while.” -Adrien chuckled. –“I had to learn fast, because my friends were way better than me, but after a while, and some help from Kim, I ended up getting the hang of things.” -he smiled.

“I see. Is Kim your best-friend?” -Elodie asked Adrien.

“Oh, no… Kim’s a great friend, but he’s not my best-friend.” -Adrien told him. –“Nino is my best-friend.” -he said. –“He’s a good skater, but his specialty is music. He’s an amateur DJ.”

“Really? Well, now I’m starting to feel bad for having showed up when I did. Maybe you should call your friends, or text them that you might not be able to make it, or that you’ll meet them later.” -Elodie suggested him. –“You shouldn’t leave them stranding, without them knowing what happened to you.” -she said.

“You don’t mind if I text them, right away?” -Adrien asked her.

“No, of course, not. Go ahead.” -Elodie smiled.  

Elodie allowed Adrien to text Nino and tell him he would not be joining them, after all. And while he did it, she had the chance to look at him and see just how much Adrien looked like his mother. There were a couple of traces in his face that resembled his father’s, but the hair, his cheeks, and above all, his eyes. Adrien had Emily’s eyes. Smiling, she thought to herself that if her sister was still alive, she would be so proud of the beautiful young man her son had become. Once he finished texting, they resumed conversation.  

“I’m sure you have immense questions… probably even more than those I have for you, and I promise you that I will answer all of them, as best as I can.” -Elodie said, as she took a sip from the cup. –“Mmm… I’m sorry, but I have to say this. Nathalie’s tea hasn’t changed at all. Still as good as it was all those years ago.” -she said. It did not take much for Adrien to realize that her aunt knew Nathalie relatively well, which was no surprise, given that she worked for his father, since he could remember.

“Yeah… she usually does it, when I get sick.” –Adrien declared, as he too took a sip of tea.

“She has taken good care of you. I’m glad to hear that.” -Elodie said. –“ _Emily did the right thing, when she hired her as Gabriel’s secretary._ ” -she thought to herself.  

“I can’t really complain.” -Adrien told her. And the truth was Nathalie really did cover for most of his rebellious acts. If she wanted to, she could just tell his father ever last time he had disobeyed his orders, or did something he was not supposed to. But she did not do it. She did not allow him to break the rules enforced by his father, but she allowed him to slightly bend them, once in a while. –“She’s a little bossy at times, but she’s nice, when she wants to.” -he said.

“Well, you can’t always do what you want.” -Elodie told him. –“Someone has to remind you that there are rules, from time to time.” -she smiled.

“Yes. I guess you’re right.” -Adrien shrugged his shoulders, as she kept looking at him. –“Is there something wrong? Do I have something on my hair?” -he asked Elodie.

“Oh, no, sorry… it’s just that I haven’t seen you since you were little, and well, I can’t stop thinking about how much you’ve grown.” -Elodie told. –“You remind me so much of your mom.” -she said. –“But either way, I’m sure you have lots of questions, and like I said, I’m here to answer them, as well as I can. So, don’t be shy and ask way.”     

But before Adrien could ask her anything, the doorbell was heard once more, interrupting what Elodie thought was going to be a calm and relaxing conversation, between them.   

“Huh? The doorbell again?” -Adrien asked, a little surprised. –“It must be my dad.” -he said.

“Oh, then this is going to be good.” -Elodie said sarcastically. –“ _Dang it, I was hoping I could have a nice conversation with Adrien, before Gabriel got back, but I guess I’m not going to be that lucky._ ” -she thought to herself.

“What do you mean, aunt Elodie?” -Adrien asked her. He had been so focused on the fact that he had found out, or somehow remembered, that he had an aunt, that he had not asked himself why his father had never told him about her, or why there were not. And now, he was asking himself just that.    

“Let’s just say that your father and I… we’re not on speaking terms, to say the least.” -Elodie declared, with a slightly grim voice.

As she made her way to the door, Nathalie begged every God out there for it to be someone else, other than her boss at the door. She knew that if he entered and saw his sister-in-law, two things would happen. First, he would be enraged by her visit, and second, a fight was sure to start, once they saw each other.

“ _Please, don’t let it be Monsieur Agreste, don’t let it be him._ ” -Nathalie thought to herself. –“ _If he sees her here, I fear the worst._ ” -she kept thinking to herself. She knew that he would not blame her for answering the door and inviting Elodie in, but that did not give her any sort of comfort. After all, if people found out that she had refused her entrance, it would not be long for some paparazzo to find out the details of the story, and that would be far worse to Gabriel’s reputation, than if they found out that he argued with his sister-in-law. –“ _Why didn’t Adrien ask me to go out earlier? If he had, I would have told him he could, and by the time she showed up, he would not be here and she would have no other option than to go away…_ ”

But her prayers fell on deaf ears, because as she was closing in on the door, she heard Gabriel talking to Nina. Taking a deep breath, before opening the door, she hoped that things went differently from the way she was thinking they were going to go. Opening the door, she greeted them both.

“Good afternoon, sir. Good afternoon, Nina.” -Nathalie greeted them. –“ _Try not to sound like you’re nervous, Nathalie._ ” -she kept telling herself those words.

“Good afternoon, Nathalie.” -Gabriel greeted her back.     

“Hey, Nathalie!” -Nina exclaimed, waving at her.

“We just came by to pick a few documents that I’ve forgotten in my study.” -Gabriel warned her, as he and Nina entered.

“O-Oh, I see, sir.” -Nathalie tried to act naturally. –“ _Maybe if I go and get the documents, they won’t even notice that Adrien is with his aunt in the living room._ ” –she thought to herself. –“Maybe I could go and get them for you.”

“That won’t be necessary.” -Gabriel told her. –“I know where they are, and I’m sure that you have more important things to do.” -he smiled kindly at her.

“O-Of course, sir.” -Nathalie stuttered. She was beginning to sweat, as her heart kept beating faster than usual, fuelled by her fear.  

Looking at Nathalie, Nina felt that something was wrong with her. In all the months she had been working for Gabriel Agreste, Nathalie always looked calm and composed; the way any secretary should look, in her mind. But on that afternoon,  

–“Is everything alright? You seem a little pale.” -she pointed out. 

“Nina’s right Nathalie. Is there something wrong?” -Gabriel asked her, worried that she might not be feeling well.

When Gabriel Agreste asked her that question, her mind froze, as well as her body. Right then, she just wanted to dig a hole and disappear into it.

“W-Well… we… I mean… we received a visitor.” -Nathalie tried to speak calmly and coherently.

“A visitor? And who is it?” -Gabriel calmly asked her.  

“It’s… It’s your sister-in-law…” -Nathalie finally got the courage to say it. –“She’s in the living room, with Adrien.” -she said.

“My sister-in-law?” -Gabriel asked her, raising his voice just enough to show his displease. –“And she’s still here, with Adrien?”

“Yes, sir.” -Nathalie declared.

“Nina… go home and take the rest of the weekend off. I’ll see you on Monday morning.” -Gabriel told his assistant, without taking his eyes off Nathalie.  

“Uh… yes, sir.” -Nina said. She wanted to ask him why he was giving her the rest of the day off, but looking at his facial expression, she decided to not open her mouth.  

Leaving both women in the foyer, Gabriel made his way to the living room where his sister-in-law was talking to his son. As soon as she saw that he could not hear her, Nina asked Nathalie what was going on. Nina was not a curious person, but given the way her boss reacted, when hearing that his sister-in-law had come to visit, she felt compelled to know the whole story, if possible.

“What’s going on?” -Nina asked Nathalie. –“I’ve never seen Monsieur Agreste reacting that way.” -she declared.

“Let’s just say that Monsieur Agreste and his sister-in-law have a very complicated relationship, ever since his wife died.” -Nathalie told Nina.

“Very complicated?” -Nina asked her, with a curious voice. –“What do you mean by complicated?”

“I’m not at freedom to speak about details, because I don’t know the whole story myself. But I can tell you that this is the first time in many, many years that they see each other.” -Nathalie told her. –“The last time she was in this house, was a few days after the funeral of Mrs. Agreste.” -she added. –“And things, did not end particularly well.”

After hearing her say those words, Nina felt that she had to get out of there. She felt like she had been caught in a fight between two opposing forces, and whatever side she decided to take, the final result would be the same. Excusing herself, she decided to leave, before things got chaotic. Bidding farewell to Nathalie, Nina exited the manor through the front door. As for Gabriel, arriving at the living room, he saw both Adrien and Elodie having tea, and without giving Adrien or Elodie time to speak, the first thing he did was ask what she was doing there.  

“What are you doing here?!” -Gabriel asked Elodie, looking extremely displeased with her presence.  


	7. Turmoil in Agreste Manor

The environment in the living room changed completely, when Gabriel Agreste entered in it and asked what his sister-in-law was doing there. Where a few moments before existed a cosy and heart-warming environment, now, existed one that the polar opposite of it, cold, uncaring and distant. Looking at his father’s eyes, Adrien immediately realized that he was not happy to see Elodie, and before he could speak, his father repeated the question he had made her a few seconds before. 

“I asked, what do you think you’re doing here?” -Gabriel asked his sister-in-law, absolutely furious with her presence.  

“What am I doing here, Gabriel?” -Elodie said in a neutral voice. –“I came here to place flowers in my sister’s grave, like I always do, every year, upon the anniversary of her death. Ans I also came to see my nephew.” -she said, as she sipped the tea from her cup, before placing it on the tray, that rested on top of the coffee table. –“Nathalie was so nice to opening the door and to my surprise, I saw Adrien and her, standing there. You can’t even imagine just how happy I was when I saw him. I should have come back a long time ago, you know?”

“You know quite well that you’re not welcome in this house.” -Gabriel told her in a calm, yet angry voice. If looks could kill, his would have allowed him to burn Elodie to cinder in a matter of seconds.  

“Oh, I know that very well, Gabriel. But that won’t stop me from seeing my nephew. As his aunt, I have every right to see him.” -Elodie said politely. Unlike her brother-in-law, she had no intention to show her displeasure.

“We made a deal. A deal, which was your idea in the first place.” -Gabriel declared.

“Yes, we did.” -Elodie told him. –“And now, I know that it was a mistake. I should have never left, for Adrien’s sake. Even if you blamed me for what happened to Emily.” -she said, slightly raising her voice. She had told herself she was not going to allow him to make her lose both her composure and her patience, but Gabriel had touched a sensitive matter.  

“Even after all these years, you still don’t admit your guilt in this… what happened to Emily was your fault, no one else’s!” -Gabriel shouted at Elodie, clearly not having liked what she had told him.

“My fault?! If anyone here is to blame for what happened to my sister, is you, Gabriel Agreste!” -Elodie yelled at the fashion designer, as she stood up. –“It was because of you that  

Hearing the two of them, Adrien tried to make sense of everything that was going on. It was bad enough they were yelling at one another, but the worst was that he felt like they had forgotten he was present. And he was not the only one, who was trying to make sense out of it. Plagg, who was hearing the whole thing, asked himself where that exchange of accusations would end up.    

“You take that back, right now!” -Gabriel snapped at her. The rage inside his chest was making the blood in his veins to boil. If instead of a man, he was a volcano, he would be very close to erupt, right then.

“Or what?! I’m not afraid of you, Gabriel. You may have fooled everyone else, but I can see right through you… You’re the one to blame for what happened to Emily! If it was not for you and your stubbornness, she would still be alive!” -Elodie snapped back at Gabriel -"But I’m not going to start a fight, right here and right now, because I know that you’re too stubborn to see that you’re not willing to see the truth, even if it’s standing right in front of your eyes.” -she said, this time with a calmer voice. –“I know when I’m not welcome.”

Saying that last sentence, she turned to Adrien, who remained silent during that exchange of words, between the two adults.  

“We’ll continue our conversation another time, Adrien.”

“You’re not see my son again, you hear me!” -Gabriel shouted angrily at her.

“You can stop me from seeing him, but the truth always finds a way to reveal itself, to those who seek it “ -Elodie said, as she grabbed her purse. –“Let me ask you this… did you tell your son that you are the one to blame for his mother’s untimely death?!” -she asked him, to which he remained in silence. –“That’s exactly what I thought. You’re still the same man you were all those years ago. I still don’t know what Emily saw in you, when she fell in love with you, and I’ll probably never will.”

Saying that, she just walked past him, on her way to the exit, before stopping mid-way, and looking over her shoulder, to say one last thing.

“You can stop me from seeing him, but the truth always finds a way to reveal itself, to those who seek it “ -Elodie said, as she grabbed her purse. –“Let me ask you this… did you tell your son that you are the one to blame for his mother’s untimely death?!” -she asked him, to which he remained in silence. –“That’s exactly what I thought. You’re still the same man you were all those years ago. I still don’t know what Emily saw in you, when she fell in love with you, and I’ll probably never will.”

Saying that, she just walked past him, on her way to the exit, before stopping mid-way, and looking over her shoulder, to say one last thing.

“I’m sorry that you had to watch this, Adrien, I truly am. But like I said, we’ll find a way to continue our conversation later, sweetie.” -Elodie apologized herself.

“I told you that I forbid you from ever seeing my son again, you hear me, Elodie!” -Gabriel yelled.

“We’ll see about that, Gabriel.” -Elodie said, looking at him with disdain- –“You may be able to keep me from talking with Adrien, but if Adrien wants to talk to me, we will find a way. If I remember correctly, he was just like his mother when it came to that matter.”

Gabriel wanted to yell at her, because of that last comment, but he refrained from doing it, as she entered the foyer, and allowed Nathalie, who had been listening to the whole thing, to open the door for her. Closing in on the Gabriel’s secretary, Elodie told her that it was nice to see her, and hoped they would see each other again soon, before exiting through the door. Once the door shut, a few seconds went by, before Gabriel spoke again; this time with his son.

“Adrien… go to your room.” -Gabriel ordered his son.

“But…” -Adrien tried to talk, only to be stopped by his father.

“I said, go to your room, Adrien. Do not force me to repeat myself, once more, please.” -Gabriel told Adrien, trying to speak as calmly as possible. As mad as he was, he did not want his son to feel like he was mad at him.

“Yes, sir.” -Adrien sighed, as he got up and made his way to his bedroom.  

“And furthermore, you’re not to see that woman ever again.” –Gabriel told him. –“Do I make myself clear, Adrien?”

“Yes, sir.” -Adrien

Adrien did not say another word, as he walked back to his bedroom. Nathalie, who saw and heard the whole thing, could not help but to feel bad, not only for Adrien, but also for Gabriel. After Adrien passed by her, going up the staircase, she decided to go to Gabriel, to see if he was alright. She felt that right then, he needed more attention that his son, whom she would check a little bit later. Walking towards the living room, she felt her heart sinking in, as she pondered on what had happened, and felt that at least half of what happened was because of her. Sighing, she wished she could turn time back and do things differently, hoping for another outcome. As she entered in the living room, she saw that her boss was now staring out one of windows. His eyes still showed traces of fury and rage, but of remorse and sadness at the same time.      

“Sir… I… I came to apologize- It was my fault… if I had known it was your sister-in-law at the door, I…” -Nathalie

“It was not your fault, Nathalie.” -Gabriel interrupted her, as he kept staring out the window. –“From what Elodie said, it was not your fault.”

“Y-Yes.” -Nathalie asserted. –“Adrien was on his way to meet his friends, and she knocked at the door, and I opened it, believing it was… I don’t even remember who I thought it could be at the door, right then.” -she sighed. –“And then, Adrien recognized her, and…”

“Like I said, it was not your fault, Nathalie.” -Gabriel said, as he turned to her. –“Besides, if you had told her to go away, Adrien would be even more confused than he already is, and would start making questions.” -he sighed.

“I understand.” -Nathalie said. –“But, with all due respect sir, after this altercation between you and your sister-in-law, Adrien is sure to question what happened. Don’t you think you should tell him the truth?” -she suggested.  

“Perhaps… but not yet.” -Gabriel pondered the hypothesis. –“I need to find the right away to tell him. I don’t want him to think that I was the one responsible for his mother’s death, like Elodie affirmed.” -he sighed. –“And above all, we can’t let him talk to her… not before I’m able to talk to him.”

“I see.” -Nathalie asserted. –“But, and if I may be bold about it, sir, do you really think that Adrien won’t try to find her, so he can talk to her, or that she will try to talk to him?” -she asked him.  

“Which is why, I’m ordering that as long as she is in Paris, Adrien must not have any sort of contact with her… at least not until I can explain him everything, and for that, I’m going to need a couple of days, at least. This is something that needs to be well thought.” -Gabriel declared. –“Besides, I don’t want her telling Adrien lies about me.”

“I understand, sir.”

“Until she’s gone, or I find the right moment to tell him everything, Adrien does not leave this manor, unless to attend school and once classes are over, he comes back here.” -Gabriel declared. –“Did I make myself clear, Nathalie?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll pass on the information to Adrien’s bodyguard, regarding your decision.” -Nathalie said.

“Thank you, Nathalie.” -Gabriel told her, as a smile appeared on his face. The very first one, since he found out that his late wife’s twin sister had showed up. –“I’ll be in my study, and I do not wish to be disturbed by anyone.” -he said.

“Understood.” -Nathalie said, as Gabriel exited the living room, leaving her alone in it. –“ _I just wish that in the end, this all turns out for the best_.” -she thought to herself.

* * *

As the conversation between Gabriel and Nathalie took place in the living room, in Adrien’s room, the teenager tried to understand everything that happened in that last hour. His mind felt like a twister, where all his thoughts were jumbling around, and he was trying to make sense out of things. The way his father spoke to his aunt, and the way his aunt spoke to his father… something very bad had happened between them, and it all revolved around his mother and her death. If only he could find out what it had been. But that was not the only thing that was bothering him. The fact that he did not remember about his aunt, until she showed up at his doorstep, was bothering him more than he wanted to admit. And the more he thought about it, the harder it was for him to come up with a reasonable explanation for it.     

“Adrien, please stop!” -Plagg begged him. –“If you keep walking around like that I’m going to get dizzy, just from looking at you!” -he told Adrien.

“Sorry, Plagg… it’s just that, I can’t stop thinking about what happened.” -Adrien sighed.

“You and me… who would ever thought that you had an aunt, who happens to be your mom’s twin, and you did not know about it?!” -Plagg exclaimed.

“That’s just it, Plagg. I didn’t. I mean, my dad and Nathalie, and perhaps even Gorilla knew about it… but I didn’t.” -Adrien told him. –“And that poses lots of questions… or at the very least, one big question… why? Why couldn’t I remember about her?”

“Well, for starters, there isn’t a single picture of her around the house… unless, of course, one of the few photos where your mom shows up, is actually her.” -Plagg suggested. –“I mean, it’s possible, but… I don’t see why would that happen.” -he said.

“I don’t know what to think, Plagg.” -Adrien sighed, as he threw himself on the couch, next to his kwami. –“The way aunt Elodie talked to my dad, and also what he told her… I can’t stop hearing it my head.” -he admitted.

“Something fishy is going on around here, that’s for sure.” -Plagg said. –“I don’t know what, but there’s something fishy going on between your dad and your aunt.”

“Tell me something I don’t know already…” -Adrien sighed. –“The only thing I know about it is that it involves my mom.”

“Well, your father did accuse your aunt of being the one responsible for your mom’s death, while she accused your father of the same thing.” -Plagg declared. –“I hate to admit it, but it’s like they say, where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

“What are you talking about?” -Adrien raised his eyebrow.

“I’m just saying that maybe one of them is responsible for your mom’s death.” -Plagg told him. –“Look, I’m not accusing them, I’m just hypothesizing, bearing in mind what we both heard them saying.” -he said.

Hearing him say those words, made Adrien feel even more confused and annoyed with everything that was going on. Right then, if he could just open his own head and rip his own brain, so he could not think about everything that was going on, he would, no questions asked.

“That’s ridiculous.” -Adrien said.

“Is it, really? Let’s put it this way, what do you know about your mom’s death?” -Plagg asked him.

Adrien was about to answer him, when it hit him. He did not know much about his mother’s death. He knew that she had died in an accident, but other than that, nothing else. All that he knew about it, was what his father and Nathalie had told him about. He had never felt the true need to find out more about it, because he felt that there was nothing more to say about it.

“Now that you mention it, almost nothing.” -Adrien admitted. –“I know she had an accident, a car accident to be more exact. But other than that, nothing.”

“Haven’t you ever been curious about it?” -the black cat kwami looked at him.

“Not really.” -Adrien said, though now that they were talking about it, he wished he had been more curious about it. –“Do you think I should have been more curious about it?” -he asked his kwami.

“I don’t know. Do you think you should have been?” -Plagg asked him.

“Honestly, I don’t know… I mean, knowing more about it, it wouldn’t bring my mom back, so… I guess, I was just satisfied to know a little bit more about her, but not about her death.” -Adrien declared.

“I see… still, like I said, this whole story smells fishy to me.” -Plagg declared. –“And for some reason, I think your aunt knows something that your father doesn’t want you to know. Maybe it even has something to do with the fact that you had no recollection of her, until you saw her at the door.” -he said.

“You really think so?”

“I said “maybe”, Adrien. But who knows, if she happens to know, maybe it will help solve that part of the mystery.” -Plagg declared.

“You’re right, I need to talk to her.” -Adrien told him. –“But… how am I going to do that? You heard my dad; he forbade me from ever seeing her again. And on top of that, I don’t know where she’s staying at, or if she even has a place in Paris.” -he said. Paris was a large city, and it was quite possible that his aunt had an apartment somewhere in the city. Still, from their conversation, she had given him the impression that she was just visiting, so there were good chances that she was in a hotel.  

“And since when did that stop you?” -Plagg told him. –“You’re Chat Noir, remember? All you have to do is transform, use the window to go outside and find her.” -he smirked.

“Easier said than done. I wouldn’t even know where to start looking, even if I wanted to.” -Adrien sighed.

He had just said that, when he heard someone knocking at the door. Hearing it, Plagg immediately disappeared, hiding beneath the couch.

“Adrien, may I come in?” -a voice asked. It was Nathalie, who was knocking at his bedroom door.    

“Uh… yes, come right in. It’s open.” –Adrien said, as he sat up straight.  

Turning the doorknob and opening the door, Nathalie entered.

“Yes, Nathalie?” -Adrien said, as she closed the door behind her.

“I came here to warn you that your father is going to stay in his study for the rest of the day, and that he does not want anyone disturbing him.” -Nathalie said, as she walked to the couch where Adrien was, stopping in front of him.

“ _Figures he would do that._ ” -Adrien thought to himself. Gabriel had a tendency to do that a lot, so this did not surprise him. –“Thank you for telling me. I’ll be sure not to disturb him, then.”

“One more thing. Your father has given me instructions to let you know that from now on, you will only leave the house, to go to school, and once classes end, you will come back home, escorted by your bodyguard.” -Nathalie warned him. As soon as she finished saying those words, she saw the expression on Adrien’s face change, and she had seen that expression enough times to know that he was crushed. –“Don’t worry, it’s only temporarily.” -she assured him.

“Does it have to do with what happened with him and my aunt?” -Adrien said, with a grim voice.

“I’m afraid so.” -Nathalie sighed. –“But, like I said, it’s only temporary.”

“Let me ask you something. Do you know why my dad and my aunt are angry at each other?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know the full story behind it.” -Nathalie declared. –“All I know is that it’s complicated, and that your father will explain everything to you, as soon as he finds the right words to do it.” -she smiled to Adrien. –“But in the meantime, maybe you can find out part of the story, yourself.”

Saying that, she reached for the left pocket of her jacket and pulled a small piece of paper, which she then handed to Adrien. This looked like a blank piece of paper, but looking at it closer, he noticed that it had something written in black ink on it. A number… a phone number, which Adrien quickly assumed was his aunt’s cell phone number, with which he could reach her. The first thing he thought about it, was that his aunt had predicted every possibility, and had decided to leave him a way to talk to her. But what surprised him the most, was that Nathalie was helping her, instead of just doing what his father had told her to do.    

“My aunt gave this to you?” -Adrien asked her, as he looked at the small piece of paper he was holding.

“What are you talking about, Adrien? Gave me what?” -Nathalie smiled, pretending that she had not given him the note that Elodie had given her to hand him before she left, while winking an eye at him.

“Oh, I get it.” -Adrien smiled at her. –“Alright, thanks for letting me know about my dad’s new set of rules.” -he told Nathalie. –“And, I’ll be eating dinner in my room, if that’s okay.”

“I don’t think your father will mind, given that he will probably eat dinner in his study.” -Nathalie said. –“That is, if he’s even hungry… after what happened, I’ll be surprised if he wants to eat.” -she thought to herself, worrying about her boss. –“If you need anything else, just call me, Adrien.”

“I will.” -Adrien said, as she turned and walked to the door. –“Oh, and Nathalie…” -he said, making her look over her shoulder. –“Thank you.”  

“My pleasure.” -Nathalie smiled heartily. –“And don’t worry. Everything will turn out okay in the end… you’ll see.” -she told him, always with a smile on her face.  

Soon as Nathalie closed the door behind her, Plagg saw it was safe to show up, and wasted no time in doing it so. If there was one thing the black cat kwami hated, was that he had to keep a low profile most of the times, and hide whenever there was someone who did not know about his existence around. He had been doing that for as long for as long as he could remember, but that did not mean he had to like it. And like always, he had one of his brilliant comments on the tip of his tongue, ready to be said.   

“That Nathalie sure is a complicated person.” -Plagg said, as he came out of his hiding spot. –“On one hand, she’s defending your dad and enforcing his set of rules. And on the other, she’s going behind his back and giving you the means to talk to your aunt.”

“Well, like I told you in other occasions… she may work for my dad, but that doesn’t mean she agrees with him on everything.” -Adrien said. –“And now, at least I have a way to contact my aunt.” -he smiled. –“Should I call her now, Plagg?”

“Yes! Call her, you idiot!” -Plagg exclaimed. –“I can tell you want to call her, just from looking in your eyes.” -he admitted.

“Okay, let’s see, then.” -Adrien said, as he grabbed his cell phone and dialled the number. –“Alright, I’ve dialled it. Now let’s see if she picks up, Plagg.” -he said.   

Seconds went by, as Adrien waited for his aunt to pick up the call. But these seconds felt more like minutes, or even hours to Adrien. More than anything, he wanted to hear the voice of his aunt, which although being different from his mother’s voice, it was strangely similar at the same time. And more importantly, he had questions, which she could answer.

“Maybe she gave you the wrong number?” -Plagg said.

“She wouldn’t do such a thing, Plagg. Just give her time. She may not have her phone near her.” -Adrien told him, when he heard someone on the other end of the line. –“Aunt Elodie?” -he asked.

“Adrien, is that you?” -Elodie asked him.

“Yeah, it’s me. Nathalie gave me your number.” -Adrien told her.

“Oh, I knew I could trust her to do that. She may work for your father, but she still has a conscience.” -Elodie sighed out of relief.

Talking to her, Adrien was told that she besides coming to put flowers on her sister’s grave and seeing him, she was also there in work, though she did not get into details about what kind of work it was, and he did not ask her about it. Elodie asked him if his father had been too rough on him, for having talked to her, and he quickly told her that he didn’t punish him, but that he had forbade him from seeing or talking to her ever again, which made her mad about it. As the conversation went on, he asked her why he did not have any recollection of her, before she showed up at the manor.

“I think that’s something that is too delicate to discuss over the phone, Adrien.” -Elodie told him. –“I think it would be best if we talked about it in person. But I don’t think that’s going to be possible, given what you told me about your father’s plans to keep you from seeing me.” -she said.

“We’ll just have to find a way.” -Adrien said. –“Tell me, where are you staying? I’ll meet you there.” -he asked her.

“I’m staying at the Le Grand Paris Hotel. But listen to me, I want to talk to you and finish the conversation we began this afternoon, but I don’t want to get you into any trouble.” -Elodie told him.

“You won’t, trust me. I’ll find a way to get out of the house and meet you at the hotel, without my dad knowing.” -Adrien said.  –“Just tell me the time you want to meet, and leave the rest to me.” -he said. 

“If you’re sure about it, then, I guess we could meet after lunch. I have a few things I need to take care of, in the morning.” -Elodie said. –“But, once that is done, we can meet at the hotel. What do you think if we meet at 3 in the afternoon?”

“It sounds like a deal to me.” -Adrien chuckled.

“Very well. Until tomorrow, then. And if you can’t come, I’ll…” -Elodie said, before being interrupted by Adrien.  

“Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to meet you at the hotel, tomorrow. I promise.” -Adrien said. –“ _It’s like Plagg said, I’m Chat Noir… all I need to do is transform, open the window and head to the hotel. I’ll be back before anyone finds out._ ” -he thought to himself.   

* * *

It was almost 9 in the night, when a truck stopped in front of the Louvre, carrying an important wooden crate, whose content was incredibly important, as well was as extremely heavy. Inside it, was one of the most important pieces in the new Egyptian exhibit, which would open to the public in a few days. And to receive it were Alix’s father and older brother, Jalil. Having been working during most of the day, the two were pretty exhausted, when the truck arrived. Still, when they were notified by the museum’s security of its arrival, they felt like their energies had been renewed. Exiting the Egyptian wing, where they had been working, they made their way outside, to examine the piece and guarantee that it was alright.   

“Be careful with that box! Its content is extremely delicate and fragile!” -Mr. Kubdel warned the team of unloaders, as he approached the truck, followed by his son.

Using a forklift, which had been brought for the job, the team of unloaders quickly got the crate on the ground, where it was then opened, to reveal its content. Inside was a beautiful gold and dark alabaster statue.

“Isn’t it a beauty?” -Mr. Kubdel asked his son.

“I agree, dad. It’s a unique piece.” -Jalil admitted, as he looked at the statue.

“Which will surely be appreciated by those who visit the exhibit.” -Mr. Kubdel said, as he examined the statue, using the flashlight of his cell phone to check if it had any sort of damage. –“Still, it pales in comparison to what will arrive tomorrow afternoon.” -he added.

“You mean the carriage?”

“Indeed.” -Mr.Kubdel said –“Once assembled, that carriage will look as if it was built not for a pharaoh, but a god.” -he declared. –“I’m still finding it hard to believe that we are lucky enough to receive this exhibit, here at the Louvre.”

Hearing his father say that, Jalil could not help but to smirk. The way he talked, a person who did not know it, would think the Louvre was not one of the largest and most important museums in the world, but instead a small art gallery, where only unknown artists showed their works. Still, he would always talk like that, whenever the museum received an artefact or a work of art, even if it was a temporary loan, like in that case. Jalil was about to say something, when he heard his cell phone ringing. Taking out of his jacket’s pocket, he looked at the screen, to see who was calling him. It was no surprise, when he saw his sister’s name.   

“Hold on, dad. It’s Alix.” -Jalil said, as he answered the call. –“Yes?”

“Are you and dad going to stay there the rest of the night?!” -Alix asked him. Her voice clearly showed she was anything but happy, right then. –“Mom and I are tired of waiting for you two!” -she exclaimed. –“Dinner’s been on the table for the past hour, Jalil!”

“I’m sorry, Alix. I guess we’ve lost track of time.” -Jalil told his younger sister. –“And with the arrival of this statue we were waiting for…”

“Look, just come home, already! You know I hate to eat cold meatloaf, and this one will be as cold as an ice cube, very shortly.” -Alix warned him.

“Okay, we’ll try to go home, soon.” -Jalil told her. –“You and mom can start without us.” -he said, as he ended the call.

“Let me guess… we’re late for dinner, aren’t we?” -Mr. Kubdel asked his son.

“Yes, dad, we are.” -Jalil told him, as he placed the cell phone back in his pocket. –“Yes, we are.” -he sighed.


	8. Sundae Afternoon

When the sun rose on Sunday, one could tell it was going to be a beautiful day. Even though they were in February, the weather made it look like they were already in Spring. It was a day that made people want to go out and enjoy it. But that would be something Mylene Haprèle was not going to do, at least, not when it came to going outside. During her spare time, she girl had been working on a little project, a short-film that revolved around a female detective in the 30’s solving a case. It was nothing that had not been done before, but Mylene loved to film that kind of short-films, because it gave her the chance to do three things. First, practice her acting skills. Second, it allowed her to fight her stage fright. And third, it gave her an excuse to hang out with her friends and do something fun with them. She had recruited the help of every single of her friends to help her out, and although only a handful of them were able to help her out with that project of hers, they were more than enough for what she wanted to do. Besides Ivan, Marinette, Alya, Nino, Rose and Juleka were more than happy to help her with the short.

The location where it was going to be filmed was an old warehouse, where her father’s theatre company usually used as storage facility. In it were countless props, as well as a couple of sets that had been built for a play or a performance, and then stored, once they were no longer needed. Having asked her father to use some of the sets and the props to film the short, he allowed her to do so, as long as she and her friends were careful and did not damage or break anything, while shooting the short there. He also told her that they could also use some of the filming equipment that was stored there, if they knew how to work with it, though Mylene told him that if they did not know, they would leave it alone and use one of their cell phones to film the short.   

Once they entered in the warehouse, they all looked around, gazing at the amount of stuff that was stashed there. The air was a little bit hot and dusty, just like it happens, when one leaves a room filled with all kinds of junk, locked for a very long time. Mylene had been the only one who had been inside before, so she knew her way around the place. Looking for a place to sit, so they could decide how things were going to be done, they found a series of wooden boxes containing props, which they used for said purpose. Being Mylene’s project, they all let her talk and explain what she had in mind. She showed them the script, she had written and told them more or less how she was thinking they could film the whole thing. Ivan had been the only one whom she had showed the script to, so he already knew who he was going to portray, but for the rest, it was a complete surprise. Mylene admitted to them that the whole story and its characters, was not something absolutely fantastic, but her friends, on the other hand, felt they were, and excited to take that script and bring it to life. Nino, of course, volunteered to be the cameraman, while Alya volunteered to be the sound tech. Marinette, on the other hand, decided that she would take care of the wardrobe, by going through all the outfits that were stashed there, and see what they could use for the short, while also doing some minor adjustments, if needed.. Rose would be in charge of the make-up department. All of them also agreed to play whatever character Mylene needed them to, and looking at the script, there were quite a lot of characters, which meant that they would most likely need to play more than one character. They also agreed they would not mind doing whatever part Mylene had for them. If she told them they would need to play a beggar, they would, or if they needed to play a kind or a queen, they would. All that mattered was for that short-film to come to life, while also having fun doing it.  

“Any doubts?” -Mylene asked them. She was so excited to start shooting the short, that she could hardly contain her excitement. 

“Just one. How long is this going to take, Mylene?” -Rose asked her. –“I told my parents that I would be home before dinner.” -she said.

“I don’t really know… I mean, I don’t plan on us being able to shoot everything today; it’s just a short, but it’s not something we can do in just one afternoon. But, I guess, that by that time, we will have wrapped things up for the day, so you don’t need to worry.” -Mylene answered her.

* * *

Going through the huge amount of clothes that were stored in several different containers and trunks, Marinette quickly found the kind of clothes they were going to need. The problem was that most of them were either too big or too small for the person that was going to wear it. Only Mylene had brought the costume she was going to wear. So, it was up to the blue-haired girl to find the outfits that were the right size for each one of them. As she scoured through the numerous outfits, she could not help but to feel like a seamstress who worked for a theatre company. In fact, she imagined that perhaps one day, she would have that kind of job, as many aspiring designers begin their careers working in theatre companies. But, as the minutes went by, and she did not find what she was looking for, she began to lose both her patience and her resolve.   

“No, this won’t fit him.” -Marinette sighed, as she looked for another jacket that was similar to the one, she found earlier.  –“No, this one won’t fit him either…”

“Are you sure he can’t just use something else, Marinette?” -Tikki asked her. She had been silently staring at Marinette, as she looked for a jacket for Ivan to wear.

“No, Tikki, I’m afraid he can’t.” -Marinette sighed in frustration. –“ _Why couldn’t he have smaller shoulders?_ ” -she asked herself, as she looked at the first jacket she had found, and wished for that to be true, so he could wear it. –“According to Mylene, Ivan’s character has to wear this particular kind of jacket.”

“Cheer up, Marinette. I’m sure you’ll find a jacket that will fit him.” -Tikki said, trying to cheer her up a little. –“Maybe I can help you out?”

“Would you? Thanks, Tikki.”  -Marinette smiled, as she grabbed the jacket that was a couple of sizes too small for Ivan, to show it to the kwami, so she would know what to look for. –“It’s got to be something similar to this, but larger, and with the same colour, Tikki.” -she explained.

“Understood.” -Tikki smiled, as she dove into one of the containers, only to spring out of it a few seconds later. –“In the meantime, why don’t you look for the outfit for one of the others?” -she smiled, diving into the containers. This time, she took a little longer to show up again, but when she did, she brought with her a jacket that looked exactly like the one Marinette was looking for. –“I think I found it!”

“Let me see.” -Marinette said, as she excitedly grabbed the jacket and checked it. Looking at it, she saw that it was the exact same colour and style she was looking for. But the best part was that it was large enough for Ivan to wear. In fact, she would probably need to tighten it a bit on the waist area. –“It’s perfect, Tikki!” -she smiled at the kwami. –“You did it!”

“It was nothing.” -Tikki said, blushing a bit. –“I’m just happy I could help.”

“Believe me, you have helped a lot.” -Marinette declared. –“Now, I can focus on finding outfits for the rest of gang.” -she sighed, knowing that she still had a lot of work ahead of her.

“Aren’t you going to find an outfit for yourself?” -Tikki asked her, as she landed on the girl’s left shoulder. 

“I’ll leave it for last. The character that I’m going to portray will only show up later on, so it’s important for me to find the outfits for the others.” -Marinette smiled, as she dug her hands in a trunk filled with even more outfits, hoping to find something that would fit her friends. –“Now, let’s get back to work. Next on our list are Alya and Nino.” -she smiled at Tikki, who smiled back at her.     

* * *

In the meantime, Alya and Nino were busy examining the filming equipment. Mylene told them where they could find it, and the two wasted no time in checking it. Or better yet, Nino was busy examining the equipment, while Alya looked around the various sets that were nearby. These, according to what Mylene’s dad had told her, after which she told them, had been assembled there to be used in the filming of a short commercial a few weeks prior, and had not been disassembled. Mylene, who was lucky enough to watch the filming take place, had the idea for that short of hers, while she was there. Two of them were going to be used by them to film the short, and Alya was taking her sweet time to explore them, claiming to be checking them to see which were the best places for them to use the camera, while shooting.   

“This place is incredible.” -Alya said, as she entered in the set that resembled an old office.

“You can say that again!” – Nino said. –“I almost feel like we’re on a film set in Hollywood.” –he admitted.

“You and me both.” -Alya said, as she sat on the desk that was in the middle of the set. –“Who would ever thought that the theatre company Mylene’s dad works for, had all of this cool stuff, just stored in a place like this?” -she asked. –“If our school had all this, imagine all the plays and movie projects we could pull out.”

“Can’t argue with you on that.” -Nino agreed.

“But tell me, how’s the choosing of the camera coming along, Spielberg?” Alya asked her boyfriend, chuckling, as she exited the set and made her way to where he was.      

“Pretty good, considering things.” -Nino said, as he grabbed a camera that he took from one of the cases where some of the video equipment had been stored. The one he had just grabbed looked more like a prop, than an actual working camera.  

“What do you mean?” -Alya asked, curious.

“Well, let’s just say that this short’s theme isn’t the only thing that isn’t from this century.” -Nino commented. –“Some of these cameras are at least twenty years old, if not older.” -he said. –“You know, maybe I’m just imagining things, but, I’m starting to think that these here might just be props.”

“Perhaps, they are.” -Wayzz’s voice was heard. He had been looking around the place, along with Trixx, so their holders lost track of them for a bit. –“Have you checked what’s written on the side of that case?”

“What do you mean?” -Nino asked, as he did what his kwami had suggested him.

Checking the side of the box, from where he had taken the camera, and a couple of other things, Nino saw that there was something written on the side. It said “Camera props”. Upon reading it, he realized that what he had been going through was just a box filled with props, and not a box with filming equipment.

“Right now, I feel really stupid.” -Nino sighed, as a ludicrous smile appeared on his face, after realizing his mistake. –“Only I would have mistaken a box filled with props, for a box with filming equipment.”

“Oh, don’t worry, everyone makes mistakes.” -Alya tried to cheer him up. –“Besides, you’re my special “stupid”, handsome.” -she flirted with Nino, which earned her a smile from him.

“Thanks, babe.” -Nino thanked her. –“But, now I’ve got to find where the real cameras are.” -he said. –“Mylene said they were around here, so, I guess I better start looking for them.”

“Don’t worry, Nino, we’ll help you find them. Won’t we, guys?” -Alya asked both Trixx and Wayzz, who waved their heads.    

With Alya and the kwamis help, it did not take long for Nino to find the filming equipment. This one was stored inside a different box, where one could read “Filming Equipment”. Opening it, they saw numerous kinds of cameras, just like it happened when Nino opened the other box. The difference was that these were real, and unlike the others that looked like cameras already a few decades old, these were maybe a couple of years old, at best. There was also a lot of lighting and sound equipment, which they proceeded to unpack, while being extremely careful, not to break anything.

“Well, these at least look and feel real.” –Nino said, as he grabbed a camera and examined. –“Let’s just hope they aren’t props, as well.”

“They’re not, Nino.” -Alya said, checking one of the cameras. –“Plus, I bet the others didn’t have instructions booklets with them, while these have.” -she chuckled, as she grabbed one of the instruction booklets and opened it. –“We better read some of these, before we begin to use them. The last thing we need is to damage one of them.”

“Okay… and I better find a socket, so I can plug one of these.” -Nino said.

“By the way, I forgot to ask you how things went yesterday? Did Adrien have a good time?” -Alya asked Nino, as she checked the shotgun microphone. Nino had told her that Adrien had been feeling a little down because of the anniversary of his mother’s death, and that he, Kim and Alix were going to try and cheer him a little.

“Well, they went alright… but Adrien did not show up.” -Nino declared.

“What? He didn’t show up?”

“Nope.” -Nino said. –“He texted us saying that something had come up, and that he was not going to be able to come.” -he said, as he took a few cables from the box, and placed them near the camera.   

“Do you think his dad grounded him for some reason?” -Alya asked. More than once Adrien’s dad had grounded him for disobeying him or one of his orders, and they knew just how strict he could be sometimes.

“Don’t know. But I wouldn’t be surprised.” -Nino said, thinking about the stunt they both pulled two days earlier. –“I tried to call him later to see if everything was alright, but he did not answer his phone.” -he declared.  

“What about Plagg? Did you asked Wayzz to contact him telepathically?” -Alya asked him. The kwamis all shared with a telepathic link, that enabled them to communicate with each other. But they usually just used that link, when it was an emergency, because it weakened them considerably.

“I tried, but he didn’t answer me.” -Wayzz replied her.

“Then, something must have happened.” -Alya declared. You could hear the uneasiness in her voice, fearing the worst.

“Don’t worry. He heard me. He just decided to ignore me, that’s all.” -Wayzz declared.

“Plagg usually does that, when he doesn’t want to be bothered… that, or when he’s eating cheese.” -Trixx told them.

“I’ll try and call him later.” -Nino told his girlfriend, trying to calm her down a bit. –“Look, if there was any kind of trouble that was out of the ordinary, I’m sure Plagg would’ve not ignored Wayzz’s telepathic call, okay?” -he said. –“Trust me… if something bad had happened to him, either Adrien or Plagg would have let us know by now.”

Their conversation was interrupted, when they heard someone calling their names. Turning their heads to the left, they saw Marinette carrying a few things on her hands, accompanied by Tikki, who was floating by her side.       

“Hey guys! Look what I found for you” -Marinette said, with a smile on her face, as she approached them, carrying a beautiful orange dress and a copper-brown suit on her hands. –“Nino, I found you the perfect outfit for you, which includes this stylish hat.” -she smiled, as she showed him the matching fedora.

“Cool!” -Nino said, as she grabbed the suit and the hat. –“But are you sure police officers wore this back then?”

“If they were detectives, you betcha they did, handsome.” -Alya smiled, as she grabbed Nino’s cap and replaced it with the fedora. –“You know what, handsome? There’s something about a fedora that gives whoever wears one, a mysterious look, including you.” -she declared, as she planted a kiss on Nino’s cheek. –“You’re going to give a really handsome police detective.”

“He sure will. But you, you will make a really beautiful femme fatale, with this dress and matching stilettoes, that Tikki and I also found.” -Marinette said, as she showed Alya the dress. –“I think it’s your size, but you’ll have to try it, Alya.” -she said.

Taking a look at it, Alya fell in love with it, the same way Marinette had, when she and Tikki found it, among countless dresses. And the same thing happened to Trixx, who loved it as well. 

“It’s beautiful, girl. The fabric… it looks like sateen.” -Alya said, as she ran her fingers through the fabric.

“It looks, but it isn’t.” -Marinette said. It there was a person who knew about fabric, it was Marinette. –“Still, nobody will notice the difference.” -she smiled.

“It matches your eyes.” -Trixx said, as she touched the fabric, feeling its texture.

“I thought you were going to say that it matches your fur and my Rena Rouge suit.” -Alya joked.

“That too.” -Trixx chuckled. –“Still, I’m not lying, when I say that it matches your eyes.” -she smiled at Alya.

“Have you found an outfit for yourself?” -Nino asked Marinette.

“Not yet. I still have to find outfits for Rose, Juleka and myself.” -Marinette declared. –“It won’t be easy, but with Tikki’s help, I’m sure I’ll find them in no time.” -she smiled, knowing she still had a lot of work ahead of her.       

* * *

Having found a place where she could work, Rose lost no time in doing what she had volunteered to do, taking care of everyone’s make-up. She began with Juleka, whom she was going to turn into a beautiful lounge singer. Going through the make-up bag she had brought with her, she chose a face powder that was close to Juleka’s skin tone, and began to apply it to her face, gently. As she applied it, Juleka giggled, because she was tickling her. When she was applying it to her nose, the Goth girl sneezed.

“Gesundheit, Juleka.” -Rose said. –“Sorry if I put too much powder on your nose.” -she apologized herself, as she placed the make-up kit she was holding on a nearby desk and looked for a handkerchief. Having found it, she handed it to her girlfriend, who was still sniffing. –“Here.”

“Thanks, Rose.” -Juleka said, as she wiped her nose. –“So, what else are you going to use on me?” -she asked the blonde. Just like her, Rose was also going to play the part of a lounge singer.

“Oh, I don’t know yet.” -Rose said. –“I mean, you practically don’t need any make-up. You have the face of a porcelain doll.” -she smiled, as she grabbed the eye-liner, and gently applied it. –“A little bit of this, will give you that look we’re looking for… oops, did I hurt you?”

“No. But, maybe I should be the one applying the eye-liner, Rose. I just need you lend me a mirror.” -Juleka suggested her.

“Don’t worry, I can do it. You just need to lay very still.” -Rose smiled, as she applied the eye-liner to Juleka’s left eye, this time without any incidents. –“There. Don’t you look super cute.” -she said, making Juleka blush lightly. –“Now, a little lipstick, and then, all we need is to give you a slightly different haircut.”

Rose smiled, as she applied a dark-purple lipstick to Juleka’s lips. Looking at her, she just wanted to kiss those very same lips, but she did not, because she did not want to smudge them. Finished with that, she grabbed her cell phone and looked online for haircuts that were worn in the 30’s that would suit Juleka. After a couple of seconds, she found one that would suit her nicely. Looking at the picture on her cell, it took her less than three seconds to imagine her girlfriend with that particular haircut.

“I know that you love wearing your hair this way, because it covers one of your eyes, and gives you a mysterious look, which I love, just as much as you do, but girls back then didn’t wear the way you gorgeously do.” -Rose said, as she caressed Juleka’s hair, taking a moment to inhale the sweet scent of her hair. –“We’ll have to give you a different haircut.”

“Thanks.”-Juleka blushed with all those praises and nice words. –“It’s a good thing you have the perfect haircut for this.” -she smiled at Rose, who smiled back at her. –“Though, I do miss you having your hair a little longer.”

“So do I. But, it’s like they say, ballerinas must have short hair, so it doesn’t get in the way, when one’s dancing.” -Rose told her. –“Though, I’ll be honest, I do miss having my hair the way I did.” -she smiled, as she looked herself in the mirror. –“Still, I’ve grown fond of this new haircut. My mom keeps telling me that it makes me look like one of those cute dolls that she used to collect, when she was younger.”

“You could be bald, and you would still be the prettiest girl in the world to me, Rose.” -Juleka told her, always with the same cute smile she made with her lips, when she was praising Rose.

Hearing her say that, Rose had control herself, not to kiss her, so as to not smudge her make-up. As always, Juleka knew just what to say to her, and because of that cute compliment, Rose did not hesitate in hugging her tightly. Their kwamis, Flint and Tamara, who had been watching the whole thing had opposite reactions to the whole situation. Tamara felt that it was cute the girls were flirting with one another, while Flint, being his usual self, felt they were being too mushy with one another.  

“You girls are giving me diabetes!” -Flint told them with a sarcastic voice, while     

“Flint, don’t say that! It’s rude!” -Tamara shot at him, while punching him on the shoulder.

“Rude, schmude! They know I’m just joking with them.” -the flamingo kwami declared.

“Still, it’s bad manners to do that.” -Tamara told him.

“Come on, you two, stop arguing, please.” -Rose begged the kwamis. –“Instead, come over here and see if this haircut will look good on Juleka.” -she asked them. –“We need to do this quick, because after you, I still have to take care of everyone else’s make-up, including me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you with it.” -Juleka told her.

“Aww, I don’t deserve you, Jules.” -Rose smiled, as she hugged Juleka, while calling her by her nickname.  

* * *

After Marinette finished making a couple of adjustments on Ivan’s outfit, she told him to go get her, so Rose could do her make-up. Everything was almost ready for them to start shooting. After helping her friends getting all the equipment they needed to shoot in place, Mylene went to get dressed, telling them she would not take long. But twenty minutes went by, and there was no sign of her.

Looking for her, Ivan found her hidden behind a series of giant props. She was already wearing her outfit, which consisted of a blue pinstriped suit and a brown overcoat. In her hands, she was holding a fedora hat of the same colour as the suit, and a couple of sheets, which Ivan assumed was the script. Approaching her, he saw and heard that she was once again singing her happy song, as she always did, when she was scared or nervous.   

“Smelly wolf, smelly wolf, trapped in the stinky hut. Smelly wolf, smelly wolf, I’m gonna kick your… Smelly wolf, smelly wolf, stinky breath and slimy drool. Smelly wolf, smelly wolf, you’re just a…” -Mylene sang.

“I thought you didn’t need to sing that song, anymore.” -Ivan smiled at Mylene, who startled her.

“Oh, it’s you. Ivan.” -Mylene said, a bit startled. –“I still sing it, sometimes. But now, I only sing it to give me courage, before I step in front of the public, or a camera.” -she smiled back at him. –“Or in this case, when I’m practicing my lines.”

“I keep telling her she doesn’t need to do it. She has a lot more courage than she thinks.” -Pin told Ivan. –“I mean, she never says it when she transforms into Forest Doe.” -the deer kwami stated.

“I don’t need to say it, because I’ve got you to lend me your courage.” -Mylene smiled at her kwami. –“And you’ve got enough courage in you to make me the most daring girl in the world, Pin.” -she kept smiling.

“Oh, you’re too kind, Mylene.” -Pin told her. –“But like I said… you have a lot more courage inside that beautiful heart of yours, than you think.”

“I also tell her that.” -Ivan said, as he placed his right arm around Mylene’s shoulders, hugging her. Next to her, Ivan looked a like a giant, and the whole image was a bit funny for both their kwamis, Pin and Muria. –“But she doesn’t believe me either.”

“One of these days I will start believing it.” -Mylene admitted. –“But in the meantime, I don’t mind hearing any of you saying it.” -she smiled at Ivan and the kwamis.

“And I won’t mind telling you that.” -Ivan smiled. –“Now, come on. Rose is waiting for you, so she can do your make-up.”

“Really? Why didn’t you say so?” -Mylene asked him. –“I may be a star, but that doesn’t mean I should let others waiting.” -she playfully talked like a diva, which made Ivan and the kwamis chuckle.

“You need to keep working on your diva voice.” -Muria told her, making everyone laugh.  

* * *

No one could say that they all had not done a good work, assembling everything it was needed for shooting that short-film. And once Rose finished Mylene’s make-up, they were ready to shoot. Nino and Alya had the camera and the shotgun microphone set. Rose and Juleka were in charge of the lighting, with Rose also being in charge of the clapper-board. Still, Mylene took the time to explain to go over the plan, once again, so all of them knew what they were supposed to do. 

“Okay, remember to knock at the door, before you enter, Ivan.” -Mylene said. –“And you, remember, Marinette, you need to read these lines loud enough, for us to hear.” -she said, as she handed her, her own script, where narrating lines were highlighted in yellow ink.

“But if in the film we’re supposed to hear you narrating things, then, won’t it be strange for people to hear my voice instead?” -Marinette asked Mylene, not understanding the procedure. –“I mean, my voice and yours have nothing in common.” -she pointed out.  

“We’ll edit it later, and replace it with my voice. You’re just going to have to read it, so they know when we’re supposed to say their lines; Marinette.” -Mylene told her. –“It’s common practice to do that.”

“Oh, I get it! now” -Marinette smiled. –“Okay, I’m ready when you are.” -she said.

“Okay, everyone to their positions, please!” -Mylene said, as she entered the set.

“You’re ready, Alya?”

“I am!” -Alya said, as she balanced the shotgun microphone.

“Alright! Quiet on the set!” -Nino said, after which, everyone shut up. –“Alright… one… two… and, action!” -he said, as Rose raised the clapper-board.  

“ _Grey. Grey was the sky that day, which matched my disposition, that morning. Rain kept coming down heavily. They were the first drops of rain in that particularly dry year. It was obvious the Gods were not happy… Zeus in particular was most likely in a foul mood, as the sound of lightning was heard in the distance. A storm was approaching._ ” -Marinette declared. –“ _Figuratively and literally speaking… and I should know it. After all, it was my job to know it. My name is Dobby… Fiona Dobby, private eye in the city of Shadesville._ ” -she went on, as Nino closed in on her face for a close-up. –“ _I will never forget the afternoon when my greatest case ever, as well as my problems began… it all started with a knock at my office’s door._ ”     

“Come in!” -Mylene said with a carefree voice, almost devoid of any kind of emotion, as the door opened.

“I’m looking for Dobby Investigations. Am I in the right place?” -Ivan asked with a heavy Russian accent. His character was supposed to talk like it, and with the fake beard he was wearing it, combined the jacket he was wearing, not even his mother would recognize him.   

“Didn’t you read the sign on the door?!” -Mylene shot at him. –“Of course, this is Dobby Investigations. What can I do for you, sugar?” -she said, this time speaking with a southern accent.  

“I need help…” -Ivan told her.

“Don’t we all?” -Mylene declared in a sarcastic tone, as she sat behind the desk. –“Spill it, and don’t forget anything. Any detail could be important.”

“ _The Russian quickly identified himself and went directly to business._ ” -Marinette declared. –“ _His name was Mikahil Nesti… Nesti meant bear in Russian, which was kind of appropriate, because he was as big as a bear, and smelled like one.” -she went on. –“He said that he was looking for someone; a niece, who had come to America in search of a better life, leaving Russia behind. The last letter he got from her had a Shadesville address, and it had been nearly 8 months since he received it. In it, she said she had found a new job, and that she was in love with a guy she had met in a bar. He added that she was the only family he had, and was worried that something bad had happened to her. I could not help but to feel sorry for him… I mean, I’ve seen this story, time and time again. Foreign girl comes to this country, looking for the old America dream, only to end up dead in a gutter. Of course, I could have been wrong, and the girl just forgot to write back at her uncle. But in a city like Shadesville, the odds of that happening were a million to one._ ”   

* * *

And while the filming took place, another series of events was taking place elsewhere. At the Grand Paris Hotel, Chloe Bourgeois was having a Sunday that she would rather forget about. But it was not just the Sunday that was going wrong for her. It was the whole weekend, as far she was concerned. On Saturday, she woke up with a major headache, which pained her the rest of the day. When Mylene called her to see if she wanted to be in the short-film she was making, the heiress politely refused, saying she was in no condition to leave her room. Taking two aspirins, she remained in bed the rest of the day, hoping the headache would vanish, with her butler, Jean, coming periodically to see if she needed anything. When she woke up on Sunday, she was feeling a little better, but was far from being alright. She felt like calling Sabrina to come over and spend the day with her, but then she remembered that she had gone to visit her grandparents, out of town. She could call someone else, but most of them were helping Mylene with her project, and deep down, she was not in the mood to hear or see anyone else. Sabrina was the exception, because she was her best-friend, and she understood her better than anyone else… Adrien was also an option, after all. Not counting Sabrina, he was her oldest friend, and he was just a phone call away. Still, deep inside, on that Sunday, she only felt like being alone, and the only one who she would allow to be near her then, would be Sabrina.       

“It that headache still bothering you, Chloe?” -Pollen asked her. The bee kwami was worried about her, and tried to cheer her up throughout the weekend, with very little results.

“More or less…” -Chloe told her. –“My head doesn’t hurt as much as before, but, I still don’t feel like myself.” -she sighed, as she threw herself in bed. –“And the worst part is that I’m not in the mood to do anything today.”

It seemed to her, the only place she felt well for the past day and half was in bed. That Sunday she just wanted to stay still and do nothing. If one would dare to guess, it would say that Chloe was suffering from depression. But the truth was, she was just bored. There was nothing good on TV, and she had no kind of patience for social networks that day.  

“Well, I may know the solution to that predicament of yours.” -Pollen told her, as she landed on the blonde’s head. –“If you’re not in the mood to do anything… why we don’t do something that I’m in the mood for?” -she asked Chloe. –“Maybe that will cheer you up?”

“Maybe…” -Chloe sighed. She was not in the mood to do anything, but if there was one truth, was that she could not say no to her kwami. Their relationship might have had a bumpy start, but right then, the blonde could not imagine her life without Pollen around her. Getting up, she gently grabbed Pollen with her left hand, held it in front of her face, smiling. That was perhaps the first time she had smiled on that weekend. –“And what do you want to do?”

“It’s such a beautiful day outside… why don’t we go for a walk?” -Pollen cheerfully asked her.

“Sorry, Pollen, but I’m not in the mood to see or hear anyone, and if I go out, I’ll have to do that.” -Chloe sighed.

“Come on, you can’t stay inside this bedroom all day, doing nothing.” -Pollen told her, as she looked her in the eyes. –“We don’t have to go outside. We could just order something to eat and go to the balcony, so we can we enjoy the Sun. We don’t even have to go out into the street.” -she said. –“A little Sun will do you good, Chloe, you’ll see.”  

“Alright.” -Chloe sighed. –“You win.” -she smiled at her. –“And can we just stay in my balcony, or is there a particular balcony that you would like to go to enjoy the Sun?”

“Well, there’s this one balcony, which is facing the terrace where the swimming pool is located, which is one of my favourites.” -Pollen told her. Chloe knew exactly what balcony she was talking about. It was the balcony on the third floor, that belonged to one of the hotel’s restaurants, the Silver Oyster, which only opened during Summer. The bee kwami liked to go there sometimes, because it was also where she could smell some of the best flowers in the hotel.  

“I know what balcony you are talking about.” -Chloe kept smiling. –“You’re getting very bossy, you know that?” -she asked the bee kwami.

“I learned from the best.” –Pollen joked, as she winked at her holder.

“Very funny… it’s so funny, I even forgot to laugh.” -Chloe answered with a sarcastic voice. –“You’re lucky you’re too fluffy and cute for me to stay mad at you.”

“Then, does that mean…”

“I’ll call Jean and tell him to go and open the balcony for us.” -Chloe told her kwami. The balcony was usually closed, and was only opened when the restaurant was, so she needed Jean, who had one of the hotel’s master-keys to open it for her. –“ _Maybe Pollen is right. Maybe a little Sun is what I need, right now…_ ” -she thought to herself.

Doing it so, it took Jean less than three seconds to answer his cell phone. Once again, Chloe made one of her extravagant demands, and Jean, as her devoted butler did as she asked him. Once on the balcony, she told him to bring her something sweet for her to eat. Jean asked her if she had any preferences, but Chloe just did not know what she was in the mood for. At Jean’s suggestion, the blonde chose to have an ice cream, telling him she felt well enough to eat one. She did not specify how many scoops she wanted or how much whipped cream it was to have. The only thing she specified was that the bowl needed to have peaches, strawberries and mango syrup. Something inside her was craving sweet delicious pieces of fruit.  

“Mango syrup on the ice cream, Miss Chloe?” -Jean asked her, after hearing her request.

“Yes, Jean, mango syrup! Instead of having chocolate syrup or caramel, it has to have honey, understood?” -Chloe told him, hating that sometimes she had to repeat herself, and on that afternoon, she had very little patience for that sort of things. –“And one more thing… when you bring it, in case I don’t feel like eating it anymore, bring me a vanilla sundae, covered in honey, got it?” -she ordered him. While the ice cream was for her, the sundae was for Pollen, whom she knew would eat it in a heartbeat.   

“It will be done, Miss Chloe.” -Jean said, as he left to get the ice cream and the sundae.

“ _That Jean… sometimes I think that he has nothing inside that big head of hi, except for hot air._ ” -Chloe thought to herself.  

Shortly after, Jean came back with what could be the biggest ice cream bowl she had seen, since last summer. Looking at it, she tried to count the number of ice cream scoops it had, and counted at least seven. The sheer amount of whipped cream on top of it was enough to choke a horse, and she did not even try to count the amount of fruit that had been added to it. As a finishing touch, it also had chocolate shavers, roasted almonds and some cookies, giving it a unique and delicious look. As for the sundae, compared to the ice cream bowl, it was rather simple. Still, the visual contrast of the golden honey with the vanilla ice cream, was quite beautiful, giving it a distinctive look. When asking Chloe if she needed anything else, she told him that she was alright, and that she wanted to be alone.

Once Jean left, closing the balcony’s door behind him, Chloe sat at the table where Jean had left the ice cream and the sundae, and began to eat the ice cream, while Pollen attacked the sundae. The creaminess of the ice cream, combined with the saltiness of the roasted peanuts and the sweetness of the peaches felt so good on Chloe’s mouth that she wondered why she did not have the idea of ordering an ice cream sooner?     

“So, how’s the ice cream?” -Pollen asked Chloe, as she licked the honey covering the sundae, trying to get to the vanilla ice cream.  

“It’s delicious… I’m starting to think that I needed this more, than I needed anything else, right now.” -Chloe answered, as she licked the spoon clean. –“And how’s your sundae?”

“Delicious as well.” –Pollen said. –“They make the best sundaes here in the hotel.” -she said.

“My dad’s hotel prides itself on making everything perfect, Pollen.” -Chloe said, as she ate another spoonful of ice cream. –“It’s just natural that this ice cream and this sundae are also perfect.” -she giggled.

“You’re in a better mood already, I see.” -the little bee kwami stated.

“Now that you mention it, I really am.” -Chloe admitted. –“I guess, that once again, you were right. I just needed to come out for a bit and enjoy the Sun to feel a little better.” -she said, as she scooped a strawberry and ate it.  

After that exchange of words, the two remained silent, enjoying their treats. But just because they were not talking, that did not mean they were not communicating with one another. Over the course of time, Chloe and Pollen, just like it happened with the rest of the miraculous holders and their kwamis, had learned to communicate with just their eyes and facial expressions, and without the need to using words. It was hard to explain, but it was similar to the way people understand their pets, and vice-versa.

When they finally finished eating, both Chloe and Pollen could not believe they had eaten that much, especially Chloe. Looking at the empty ice cream bowl, she told herself that she was a lot hungrier than she thought she was. Leaning against the balcony, the heiress and her kwami stood there, looking at the view.

“You’re lucky, you know that, Chloe?” -Pollen told the blonde.

“How come?” -Chloe asked her.

“You’ve got this whole hotel as your playground. You can do whatever you want, and no one can tell you otherwise.” -Pollen answered her.  

“Maybe… but you know why I think I’m really lucky?” -Chloe asked her, to which Pollen waved her head. –“Because I’ve got you.” -she smiled at her. –“When I lost you and my miraculous to the Collector, and I thought I was never going to see you again, I was so sad that… that I can’t even describe how I really felt like. I knew that I was lucky in having been chosen to be the holder of your miraculous, but… but I didn’t know just how truly lucky I was, in having you as my friend.”

“But guess what? You got me back, and I promise you. I’ll never leave you again.” -Pollen smiled at her. –“And for the record, I also think that I’m truly lucky in having you as a friend. Especially, since our relationship had a rough start.” -she reminded her. –“From all of my holders, you’re certainly one of the most specials.”

“One of the most specials?! Don’t you mean, I’m the most special?” -Chloe asked her, in a playful tone.

“Oh, you’re special, but you still have a long way to go, until I can tell you that you are the most special of my holders.” -Pollen told her, with a smile on her face.   

“Then, I will try my best for that to happen. You’ll see.” -Chloe said with a confident voice, as she looked down into the terrace, near the swimming pool, where several guests were enjoying themselves. –“I’ll become the best holder you ever had and… huh?! Adrien?” -she exclaimed, as she recognized her friend, seated on one of the tables, down below.


	9. Digging the Past

There was no mistake about it; it was Adrien. Chloe’s eyes were not playing tricks on her. It was her friend and classmate, who was down there, sitting at one of the tables. The first thing she thought was what he was doing there, and how come he did not warn her that he was coming to the hotel? Continuing to look down, she noticed the he was accompanied by someone, a woman. At first, the heiress could not see who was the woman, because she was wearing a hat.              

“It really is him!” -Chloe exclaimed. –“What’s he doing down there,? And better yet, why didn’t he call me and told me that he was coming to the hotel?!” –she asked out loud, clearly upset with him. –“Plus, who is he with?”

“Perhaps it’s Nathalie.” -Pollen suggested Chloe.

“Not likely, Pollen. Why would he come here with Nathalie, if not to see me? Plus, if he was coming over, he would be accompanied by his bodyguard, not Nathalie. It doesn’t even make sense.” -Chloe told her, as she kept looking down, hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman’s face.

The whole scene was a bit hilarious, and the bee kwami could not help but to laugh at it. Right then, Chloe’s face did not look like the face of someone who was intrigued by the mystery of whom Adrien was talking to, but looked like the dace of why Adrien had showed up at the hotel, and did not tell her a thing. One would say she was acting like a jealous girlfriend.  

“If people could see you right now, they would ask themselves if you were Adrien’s girlfriend, who was having a jealousy attack.” -Pollen laughed

“Don’t be ridiculous, Pollen!” -Chloe exclaimed. –“I’m not jealous! Besides, I already know that Adrien only sees me as a friend… and… as hard as it is for me, I respect that. Plus, I think, that deep down, I think overcame my crush on him… unlike, Marinette.” -she told her kwami, who giggled at the remark.

“And here I thought that you were jealous of Marinette, because she secretly loves him.” -Pollen pointed it out, as she kept giggling.  

“Secretly?!” -Chloe laughed. –“The only one who doesn’t know that she’s got a huge crush on him, is Adrien himself. The rest of the class, knows that Marinette has a crush on Adrien, as big as the Moon.” -she declared. –“But no, I’m not jealous of her… but that doesn’t mean I’m going to tell her that I know, that Adrien secretly also has a crush on her. And the same thing goes for Adrien. I’m not going to tell him either about Marinette. They have to find out the truth about each other, by themselves. If they don’t, then that means it was never true love to begin with, and that they just were not meant to end up together… though, and before you say anything, yes, I’m willing to give one of them, or both, a little hand in confessing the truth about their feelings to one another, if they figure out things.”

Chloe’s view on romance was a bit contradictory in some aspects of it, but Pollen understood what she was saying. She wanted her friends to be happy, but she believed that in order for both to be happy, they had to earn that happiness, by finding out the truth about one another and their feelings.

“I didn’t know that you had a hopeless romantic side to you, Chloe.” -Pollen smiled mischievously at Chloe.

“I didn’t know I had one either, until a few months ago.” -Chloe admitted. –“Sabrina is secretly a hopeless romantic, and I think after spending so much time with her, little by little, she rubbed that side of her personality on me.” -she said, as she looked down once more, trying to get a better look at the woman who Adrien was with. –“Now if only I could see who she is…”

Her wish to find out who was the woman Adrien was talking to was so great, the heiress was beginning to think about heading downstairs, going to the enter the terrace, and casually approach Adrien, pretending she did not even know he was there, just to get a good look at her. And then, her wish was fulfilled. With a swift, yet almost regal move, the woman took the hat, and revealed her face. When she saw who it was, Chloe almost fainted. Just like it had happened with Nathalie, the heiress became as white as a sheet. She had just seen a ghost, and although her rational mind was telling her that what she was thinking was impossible, the irrational part of her mind was telling her that the opposite. Looking down once more, just to see if her eyes were not playing pranks on her, she looked at the woman

“ _That’s impossible! I-I must be seeing things!_ ” -Chloe thought to herself. Feeling like she could faint at any moment, guided more by instinct, than anything else, she took a few steps backwards and sat on the chair, while trying to rationalize what her eyes had seen. –“ _I can’t have seen her… it’s impossible! And yet she’s down there!_ ” -she kept thinking to herself.

“Chloe? Chloe, what’s the matter?” -Pollen asked Chloe, fearing something was wrong with her. She had never seen the heiress like that before. –“Chloe, answer me! You’re scaring me!”

The shrieks from her kwami made Chloe snap back to reality. Looking at Pollen, she saw in her eyes, just how scared she was. She had never seen her react that way.

“S-Sorry, Pollen.” -Chloe apologized to her kwami, as she allowed her to land on the palm of her hand. –“I-It’s just that…”

“What is it?!” -Pollen asked her.  

“The woman… the woman t-that’s with Adrien…” -Chloe said, trying not to stutter.  –“That’s Adrien’s mom!” -she declared.

“His mom?!” -Pollen exclaimed, not believing what she had heard Chloe saying. –“B-But I thought his mom was dead, Chloe.” -she said.

“And she is! When I was little, I went to her funeral… I saw her being buried. And yet, she’s downstairs!” -Chloe declared, trying to decide if she was imagining things, or if in fact, she did see Adrien’s mom, sitting with him. -“I don’t know if it’s my eyes playing tricks on me, or… wait a moment! What if this is one of Madame Romani’s illusions?!” -she exclaimed. –“Do you suppose she figured out the identity of one of us, namely me, and it’s just waiting for me to react to what I just saw, by transforming and confronting the illusion she put up?!”

Chloe raised a good question. What if Madame Romani had somehow figured out Queen Bee’s secret identity and was now toying with her. Still, the odds of that happening were pretty slim. Plus, if she had found out about Chloe’s identity, then, why choose Adrien and his mom as an illusion to lure her a trap? There was something in that story that did not add up, and Pollen knew it. Something else was going on… but what?

“I don’t think so, Chloe. You are pretty responsible, when it comes to making sure you don’t let anyone see you transform or turn back into your civilian form.” -Pollen told her with a calm voice. –“Besides, if she wanted to lure you into a trap, why not choose your dad, or even your mom, whom you don’t see that often?” -she said.

Hearing her say that, Chloe was forced to agree with her. If that crazy gypsy had found out about her identity as a superheroine, she would lure her into a trap, by using either one of her parents. And on top of that, if she had found out about her, she would have told Hawk Moth, who would come for her miraculous himself, as payback for what she did to him the last time they met.

“You’re right… I think.” -Chloe sighed. –“Still, that doesn’t explain what I just saw.” -she said. –“We’ve got to find out what’s really going on. Pollen, would you do me a favour? Would you go downstairs and try to find out if that’s really his mom, or if it’s someone else who looks just like her?”

“Okay, I’ll do that, don’t worry.” -Pollen told her, believing that all that was happening had to have a logical explanation. –“Just one thing… how will I know if it’s really his mom, or not?” -she asked the heiress, wondering how she was going to do what she was being asked to do.

“I don’t know… listen to their conversation? Ask Plagg? Anything…” -Chloe answered her, as she hypothesized that perhaps she was just a look-alike. Still, as she thought about the odds of the woman being a look-alike of Adrien’s mom, it raised even more questions about all that.  

“Very well, I will.” -Pollen waved her head.

“And be careful, not get spotted, okay?” -Chloe said, begging her to be careful.

“Don’t worry about that part. They will only see me, if I want them to see me.” -Pollen said, as she flew down into the terrace, hoping to find an answer to what was happening.

* * *

While waiting for Adrien to show up, Elodie went ahead ordered two orange juices for them, just before texting him a message, telling him to meet her at the hotel’s terrace, when he arrived. Shortly after, the waiter brought her the orange juices, just as Adrien walked into the terrace. Gasping for air, he approached Elodie’s table, where he kissed her on the cheek, and sat down. Excusing himself, he grabbed the glass of juice and drank it in a single gulp, prompting her to ask the waited for another. All that racing on top of the rooftops as Chat Noir had left him quite thirsty.

“Slow down, Adrien, you don’t want to choke.” -Elodie smiled at her nephew.

“S-Sorry, it’s just that I was really thirsty, after all that racing to get here.” -Adrien said, still panting a little. –“ _Mental note, start bringing a water bottle for such occasions._ ” -he thought to himself. 

“I’m actually impressed that you managed to leave the house, without your father knowing.” -Elodie admitted. –“Did you ask Nathalie to help you out?” -she asked him, curious as to how he had managed to exit the house, without anyone noticing he had gone out.

“No, she doesn’t know I’m here either.” -Adrien said. –“I decided to not tell her about this, so if my dad finds out, he won’t be able to blame her for covering me.” -he said, lying a little bit about the whole thing.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter. What matter is that you are here, and we can finally finish our conversation.” -Elodie smiled at Adrien. –“I know you have a lot of questions, so just shoot and I’ll answer them as best as I can.”   

Sitting at the table, Adrien wondered what he was going to ask his aunt first. He had had the whole night to think of what questions he was going to ask her, and which ones he was going to pose first. But now that he was there with her, he did not know what to ask her. It took him a couple of seconds to choose, but he decided which one he wanted to know the answer first.

“Okay… then, I guess the first question I want to ask you is, why couldn’t I remember you, until the moment I saw you at my doorstep?” -Adrien asked her. –“I mean… before you showed up, I didn’t even know you existed, and then… then everything start to come back to me. I remember you attending a few of my birthday parties when mom was alive, and some of the Christmases presents you gave me…” -he said. –“I don’t remember everything yet, but I think that in time, I will.”

When she heard him ask that, Elodie did not know how to start answering it. Sighing, she tried to explain to him the reason why he could not remember her, or why his father or anyone in that house had talked about her. She told him that after the death of his mom, Adrien became heartbroken. He did not sleep; he did not eat; he just cried and became like a shadow of his former self. And things were worst when Elodie was around, because when he saw her, he knew that it was aunt who was there, and not his mom, and that just made him feel even worst. And to make matters worse, she and his father could not stand being in the same room, without fighting and arguing. She did not even go to her sister’s funeral, because she knew Gabriel would start a scene. Just like Adrien, he was heartbroken, but instead of becoming depressed and apathetic, like his son, he became angry, vengeful and resentful. Still, Elodie knew that her nephew could not go on like that, so she made a proposition to Gabriel. To take Adrien to a psychologist to be treated, using hypnosis, and with it, suppress any kind of memories he would have of her. It was one of the last things she and Gabriel agreed on.  

“You’re telling me that my dad had me hypnotized, so I couldn’t remember you?!” -Adrien asked her, shocked with what he was hearing. He did not know even how to react to that kind of news.

And he was not the only one. Plagg, who was listening to the whole thing, hidden inside Adrien’s jacket pocket, was also stunned with what he had just heard. When he thought that with his 5000 years, nothing could surprise him anymore, something happened that proved him wrong.

“ _Whoa… talk about being evil… hypnotizing his own son, just so he could forget about his aunt, who’s his mom’s twin sister? That’s not cool, not at all. I don’t think even Hawk Moth would do something like this to a kid…_ ” -Plagg thought to himself.

“Yes, and no. Don’t blame your father for it. It was not his idea to hypnotize you, it was mine.” -Elodie admitted. –“You were so sad and so miserable, that I decided it was the best thing to do. Every time you looked at me, you didn’t look at me the way you did, when your mom was alive. You looked at me as if I was your mom, who had risen from the dead, even though you knew that was impossible, and that made you feel even worst. You were always a very smart boy.”  -she told him, as she tried her best not to start crying. -“My relationship with your father was never the best, and when your mom died, things got even worst, to the point where we couldn’t stand being in each other’s presence. But we still agreed that you needed to get over what happened, in order to be happy, and the only way for that to happen, was for me to disappear. But that meant I had to disappear from your life, as well as from your memories. Now, I know I should have never done it, but right then, it felt like the best thing to do, and I was so angry at your father, that I didn’t want to see him ever again, even if that meant that I would never get to see you in person again either. I was stupid and selfish, because I was only thinking about myself and how much I missed your mom.”

He could hear the sadness in her voice, and with it, more memories came rushing into his mind. Suddenly, he remembered standing in the living room and hearing someone entering. Turning around, he saw his mom, only for a second later, to remember that his mom had died, and that she was not coming back. Starting to cry, Elodie tried to cheer him up, only for him to cry even harder, and saying that he wanted his mom. That memory made Adrien shed a couple of tears.

“You’re starting to remember, aren’t you?” -Elodie asked him. She hoped that by talking about what had happened, his memories would come back. At least, that was what the psychiatrist told her and Gabriel, when warning them about how Adrien’s supressed memories could come back. 

“Y-Yes…” -Adrien said, as he wiped the tears with the back of his left hand.

“Now I know that taking you to that psychiatrist was the worst decision, your dad and I did.” -Elodie said, as a couple more tears ran down her face. –“We should have thought of another way to make you deal with your mom’s death and the pain you were going through, Adrien… I should have been a better aunt.” -she sighed. –“I don’t expect you to forgive me for it, but if you can find in your heart to…”  

Adrien did not even let Elodie finish that last sentence, as he got out of his seat and hugged her. He was not angry at her. If anything, he was sad that both his aunt and his dad, but especially his aunt, had to do something like that, just for him to lead a relatively normal life. Losing his mom was the worst thing that had ever happened to Adrien, but losing touch with his aunt, whom he did not even remember about, was equally bad. Everyone was looking at them, but neither Adrien, nor Elodie cared about that.

“There’s nothing to forgive, aunt Elodie.” -Adrien said, as he looked at his aunt, with his eyes filled with tears. –“I’m… I’m just happy that you came back and that I remember you now.” -he smiled tearfully.

Words are known to have numerous powers. And one of such powers is to soothe and heal a hurt or scared heart, which was exactly how Elodie’s heart was right then. When Adrien told her that everything was alright, she felt incredibly happy. She was as happy as she was not a long time ago. Still, she knew there were a lot more questions awaiting an answer, and she knew that Adrien was going to put them all.

“I’m very glad that you’re not holding any grudges… you’re just like your mom. She could never stay mad at anyone for very long.” -Elodie sniffed. –“I’m sorry. I keep saying that over and over, but it’s the truth. You have so much of your mom’s personality in you.”

“It’s alright… and yeah, my dad says that a lot.” -Adrien shrugged, as he sat in the chair. –“But, I have a another question … at home, why aren’t there any photos of you? Even the ones that are in my mom’s album… you’re not in any of them.” –he asked her. The album he was talking about was an album that Gabriel kept inside the vault in his study, where he kept most of his sketches and legal papers. It was the only object inside the vault that Adrien was allowed to touch or take from it. Whenever he felt like remembering his mom, he would take it from the vault and flip through its pages. –“Don’t tell me that my dad destroyed every last one of them?!”

No… he didn’t do it. I did.” –Elodie admitted, as she shed another tear. –“It was my decision to do that. But I didn’t destroy them. Instead, I took them all with me, every last one of them… even the ones that were framed.” -she said. –“I kept them safe, and maybe one of these days I’ll show them to you.”

The conversation went on, as Adrien made Elodie several questions, and she answered them as best as she could. At the same time, Pollen, was hearing everything. The bee kwami had found refuge inside a nearby bush, and was speechless with what she was hearing. She knew that once she told Chloe all that, the heiress would take a while to process everything.  

“There’s one more thing that I need to know… why is it that you blame my dad for my mom’s death?” -Adrien asked Elodie. From all the questions he wished to know the answer, that one was probably the one he felt more the need to know the answer.

It was not an easy question to answer, and Adrien could see that in his aunt’s face.

“Before I answer that, let me ask you one thing. Do you know what your mom did for a living?” -Elodie asked Adrien.

“Yes. She was an actress. I saw some of her movies.” –Adrien answered her. Emily Agreste had done about 15 movies during her career, and Adrien had seen them all, countless times.

“Just as I thought.” -Elodie sighed. –“That psychiatrist did a really good job, blocking those memories, if you can’t remember it. After all, he claimed to be the best in what he did.” -she said. –“Your mom was not just an actress, Adrien. She was also an archaeologist, just like me.”

When Elodie said that, Adrien’s jaw almost dropped. The idea of his mother being an archaeologist was something that it had never crossed his mind. As long as he could remember, his mother had always been an actress. A movie star with some recognition, especially in France and the rest of Europe. Imagining her as an archaeologist, was a little hard. In his mind, he pictured his mom with a get-up similar to the one by Harrison Ford while playing Indiana Jones.

“An archaeologist?” -Adrien asked her, surprised.

“Yes, an archaeologist. Well, a part-time one at least. She was better known for her work as an actress, than as an archaeologist. We both studied archaeology together. She only took up acting when she was in her sophomore year.” -Elodie said. –“She was a great actress, but she was an even greater archaeologist. Better than I am, I might add.” -she admitted, as a tear ran down her face. –“Whenever she was not filming a picture, she would come with me to some archaeological digging site. Of course, that was before she married your father and you were born. After that, she would mostly do research to help me, when I was on the field. Though she would join me from time to time.”

And just like it happened before, when Elodie began to tell him those things about his mom, it was like a lightbulb went on inside Adrien’s head, and more memories of what she was talking about came rushing in. He immediately remembered Emily taking him once to a digging site somewhere in Argentina, and he also remembered asking her innocently if she wore a whip like Indiana Jones, and her telling him that if he wanted her to wear one, she would do it. Without realizing it, tears began rolling down his face, and he only realized this was happening, when one of the tears fell on his right hand.

“If it’s too much, we can stop for a moment.” -Elodie told him. She was beginning to think that that was starting to be a little too much for Adrien to handle.  

“No. no, no, I’m okay. Please, go on.” -Adrien declared, as he wiped the tears. He wanted to know the rest of the story, even if that meant he would shed a few more tears, or start crying like a little girl.  

“Well, if you insist, I’ll go on.” -Elodie declared, as she took a deep breath. –“Sometimes, when she was not filming a picture or promoting it, I would beg her to come and help me in a digging site for a couple of weeks. I liked to refer to those times as a kind of holidays for her, where she could loosen up a little and enjoy herself. And we went on so many of them. Your father opposed it, of course, but he wanted to see her happy, so he didn’t say a word to her. But things did not go as planned on our last trip together…” -she said, as the tone in her voice changed. She spoke the last sentence with a cold and distant voice, absolutely different from her usual voice. –“… and there is no one else to blame for what happened, but your father.”

“What happened?” -Adrien asked her.

“Your mom was going to star in a new picture, but filming was postponed for two weeks, because of some problem with the script, I don’t remember what it was anymore, but I do remember that that meant that she had some time to kill. So, I told her to come and meet me in Cambodia.” -Elodie said. –“Even though I was the youngest archaeologist in that team, I was the one leading them, and we had just found something incredible. Something, I thought, the world had never seen and I wanted her to see it with her own eyes.” -she went on. –“So, she grabbed the first flight to Cambodia and joined me.”

Adrien hang on each word Elodie spoke to him. He wanted to question what it was they had found, but something inside him, prevented him from doing it so. Deep inside, he just wanted to know why his aunt blamed his father for his mother’s death.

“Once she got there, it was business as usual. She became fascinated with the whole thing… Imagine, a city or what used to be a city, engulfed by the jungle, forgotten over the centuries, only for it to be rediscovered. A city, which I and the rest of the team believed had been built to honour a group of demigods with incredible powers, who vanquished a great evil. It was going to be the discovery of the century, and your mom and I were going to be some of the first people to explore its secrets.”

When she talked about the lost city and how it was supposedly linked to a group of demigods with incredible powers, the first thing that came to Adrien’s mind was that that place could have been related to the Miraculous Order and the miraculouses themselves. He told himself that he would have to find out if that was true later.

“A week went by, when she received a call from your father, asking her to come home immediately. At first, she and I thought that you might have gotten sick or something. But then, he told her that he was going to a very important business dinner, and he wanted her to accompany him.” -Elodie declared in a bitter tone. –“She tried to convince him to let her stay for a few more days, and so did I. I told him that there was a storm heading our way, and it would be best for her to wait until it passed. But your father insisted that he needed her to be present.” -she said. –“It was raining cats and dogs and there were no signs it was going to stop for at least 48 hours. To get to the airstrip, where a plane would take her to Phnom Pehn, so she could take a flight back to Paris, she was going to have to drive for almost an hour on some of the trickiest and most dangerous roads there was. I tried to convince her to wait, but she was determined to head back home, so she could go with your father to that dinner party. You can easily guess what happened next… your mother took one of the jeeps we had in the camp and made her way to the airstrip, under that rain. She was an excellent driver, but the rain made the road particularly slippery, and the jeep flew off the road, rolling down a hillside. She broke her neck…”        

“It was an accident.” -Adrien said. It had been an accident, just like he had been told, though it had been different from what he thought had happened.

“Yes, yes it was. An accident caused by your father. Maybe not intentionally, but he caused it… all because he wanted her to attend that stupid party!” -Elodie practically spat the last sentence.

It was clear that she blamed Gabriel for what had happened to Emily, even if everything had been an accident. Looking at her, Adrien could see the pain and suffering in his aunt’s face and eyes. She blamed his father for what happened. When he first heard that Gabriel had been the one responsible for his mother’s death, he did not know what to think. But now, he knew just how things happened. And though, according to what his aunt told him, he would have every reason to blame Gabriel for what happened, he was unable to do it. Adrien had not a speck of hatred for his father in his heart.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, Adrien.” -Elodie declared.

“It is…” –Adrien admitted. –“But, I still don’t get one thing.” -he said. –“Why is it that my dad blames you for my mom’s death?”

“Because, in his twisted version of the facts, I was the one who was the responsible for your mom’s death. He believes that if I had not told her to go to Cambodia, she would still be alive, regardless of the fact that I warned him of the dangers of her leaving the camp with that storm.”

“I see.” -Adrien sighed. –“ _They basically blame each other on mom’s death._ ” -he thought to himself.  

“Now, you know the truth, of why I had to disappear out of your life, and also why you couldn’t remember me, as well as why your father and I can’t stand each other. I don’t expect you to hate your father or anything… but, at least now you know that if it wasn’t for him, your mother would probably still be alive.”  -Elodie told him.

* * *

Feeling that she had heard enough, Pollen decided to return to Chloe, so she could tell her everything she had heard. By then, Chloe was beginning to think something bad had happened to her. The heiress did not dare to look down into the terrace, after seeing what looked like Adrien’s mom, and remained seated where her kwami had left her. When she saw Pollen flying towards her, the first thing she did was to ask her, why she had taken so long?

Ignoring that question, the bee kwami quickly told Chloe everything she had heard, trying her best to leave a single detail out of it. As she heard her, Chloe became speechless, by what the bee kwami had found out. Pollen told her everything, from the part where Elodie apologized Adrien for

“Whoa… an aunt, who’s the twin sister of Adrien’s mom?” -Chloe said, astounded with the explanation. –“Well, at least I know now that I’m not crazy and I’m not seeing dead people.” -she sighed, relieved. –“Still… how did Adrien react to the whole thing?”

“Well he took it pretty well, considering things.” -Pollen told her. –“There were some tears, of course, but that’s to be expected. After all, he found out about a part of his life which he had forgotten.”   

“That’s definitely the worst part… being hypnotized to forget his aunt even existed, because every time he looked at her, it reminded him of his mom… that’s horrible, Pollen!” -Chloe exclaimed, trying to imagine just how Adrien would have felt, when he found out that someone had hypnotized him, to supress some of his memories. –“To think that he was suffering so much, and I didn’t do anything to ease his pain.” -she said, feeling bad about it.  

“Don’t blame yourself, Chloe. You were just a child back then, like him.” -Pollen told her.

“Maybe… but like him, I knew what it was not to have my mom around. The only difference was that his mom was dead, while mine was always away, most of the time… just like it happens nowadays.” -Chloe told her. –“I know it’s not the same, but… what kind of a friend was I to him, when he needed the most, Pollen?”

“The kind that realizes her mistakes, and tries to come up with a way to fix them.” -Pollen smiled at her. –“There’s nothing you can do about the past, Chloe. But you can help him now.” -she declared. –“He’s going to need your support, as well as the support of every last of his friends, now more than ever, because something tells me that this whole situation Adrien is seen himself in the middle of, it’s not going to end here.”

Once more Pollen was right. She could do nothing about the past, because it was like people used to say, it was in the past, and there was nothing one could do about it. But when it came to the present, there was a lot she could about it. She could be there for him, when he needed the most, even if he himself did not know yet.   

“You’re right. Not counting Sabrina, Adrien’s my best and oldest friend. I need to be there for him, now more than ever.” -Chloe agreed. –“Do you think I should go and talk to him right now?” -she asked her kwami.   

“No!!! If you do that, he’ll ask you how you found out about the whole thing, and you won’t have another option but to tell him that you sent me to spy on him, and he might not like that.” -Pollen warned her. –“You need to give him a little space and wait for the right moment, Chloe. Right now, you need to let him take the first step and tell you, or anyone else what happened. That’s when you’ll need to act.” -she told her. –“I know that you want to be a good friend and be there for Adrien in this hour of need, but like I said, you need to give him time to process everything. Because right now, I bet that he’s struggling to understand everything that happened.”  

* * *

After a whole morning and an afternoon helping out Mylene with her short-film, Marinette finally arrived home, as the Sun set below the horizon. She never thought that filming a 20 minute short-film would be so demanding. It was not the first time she and her friends helped Mylene with a project like that one, but this had been the first time she asked them to do things with a higher level of perfection. Still, she understood why she did it. She wanted that short-film to look as professional as possible. She confided in them that if it came out as good as she wanted it to come out, she was thinking about submitting it to a film festival. But for her to do that, they still had a lot of things to do. Luckily, they had a couple of more weeks to finish filming, and the best part, was that they had no exams for the next two, which gave them free time to do it. Of course, that also meant that they would have to find a way to do that, without neglecting their superhero training. They had agreed that after their run-in with the Collector, that they would have to start training seriously again. Still, they believed they could do both things, if they used their time wisely.    

Beaten and bushed, she dragged herself to her bedroom for a quick shower and a change of clothes, before dinner. At dinner time, both Tom and Sabine asked her how did the filming go and when would they be able to see their little girl on the big screen, which made Marinette smile. She playfully told them that they still had a lot work to do, and that her big scene still had to be filmed, adding that when they did it, she would bring them a copy of it, so they could watch it.

After dinner, she went up to her bedroom, where she intended to relax, before going to sleep. And she had the perfect solution for a nice, quiet and relaxing night… an anime marathon with Tikki. Going through her anime collection, she asked her kwami to help her choose which anime they were going to watch that night. Marinette was in the mood for something romantic, but Tikki was in the mood for something with a little more action, so it took them a bit to reach an understanding. After nearly 10 minutes, they decided to watch an old classic, Future Boy Conan.

“I think you’re going to enjoy watching this one.” -Marinette said. –“It was directed by one of my favourite Japanese animators, Hayao Miyazaki.” -she told Tikki.

“I remember you talking about him.” -Tikki smiled. –“And I do like the characters’ designs, so I’m sure I’m going to enjoy the story as well.”      

Turning on the television, the two of them got comfy, as the first episode began. Marinette had lost count of how many times she had seen that anime, but like most animes in her collection, she never got tired of watching them, over and over. When she was little, most kids watched Western cartoons, when they got home from school. But not Marinette. Because of her mother, who was also a very big fan of Japanese animation, and had a large collection of both anime and manga, Marinette watched them instead, becoming addicted to them. And as a consequence of it, it shaped her taste in animation, and it had also helped her to understand the Japanese language. She had told herself that one day, she would try and learn it properly, like she had learned Mandarin and Chinese, when she was little.     

They were going on the third episode, when Tikki asked Marinette if she had some cookies. The blue-haired girl smiled, asking her if she was already hungry, given that she had eaten something like ten cookies at dinner, and the little kwami answered her that watching television made her hungry.

“Tell me one thing… when there was no television around, did you also get hungry, shall we say, by a campfire?” -Marinette asked her playfully, as she got up and made her way to her wardrobe, where she kept a hidden stash of snacks, among them cookies. –“Did any of your previous holders also had to give you snacks, while they told stories around a campfire?” -she asked her.

“Yes.” -Tikki giggled. –“But not all of them gave me cookies… I only discovered that I loved those, when I was 2000 years old.” -she kept giggling. –“They usually gave me fruits, like berries and such. For example, Micazoyolin, you remember me talking about him; he was the Aztec warrior who was my holder for about two years in the end of the 15th century? He usually gave me cocoa beans.”

“That explains why you’re so addicted to chocolate chip cookies.” -Marinette joked, as she opened the wardrobe and took a bag of chocolate chip cookies from inside it, closing it afterwards. –“Well, here you have them.” -she said, as she lied down next to Tikki and gave her a cookie, which she began to nibble the second after. –“You look so cute, when you eat like that. You look almost like a little chipmunk with its cheeks filled with food.”     

“I do not!” -Tikki protested, laughing lightly.

“Yes, you do. And it makes you even cuter than you usually are.” -Marinette teased the scarlet kwami, which earned her a couple more giggles from her.

“Okay, if you say so…” -Tikki kept giggling, when she heard a noise. –“Hey, did you hear that?” –she asked Marinette.

“Heard what?”-Marinette asked her.

“That sound…” -Tikki said, as she once again heard it. It was the sound made when one tapped at a window. Turning her head to the left, she noticed a figure outside of Marinette’s window. –“There’s someone at the window, Marinette.” -she warned her.

Looking at the window, Marinette saw that there really was a figure outside of her window. Her first reaction was to scream, fearing that a thief was about to enter her bedroom. But then it hit her. What kind of a thief would try to break into a house, through the attic? Getting up, she quickly went to check who was the figure outside her window. To her surprise, the figure outside her window was not a thief, but a blond boy wearing a black latex outfit with a mask and matching cat ears, and holding a silver staff in his right hand.   

“Chat?!”


	10. Confident

Waving at her, Chat Noir was standing just outside Marinette's window. At first look, he seemed alright, but looking at him, Marinette's intuition told her that something was wrong. Looking him in the eyes, she noticed that his eyes looked different; they looked like he had been crying. And his grin, it was not his usual sly and amicable grin, which was one of his iconic trademark images. It was a sad, almost depressing grin. Opening the window, she asked him if everything was alright.

"What are you doing here?" -Marinette asked Chat. –"Are you okay?"

Chat did not utter a single word. He just stood there, looking at Marinette, as if she was the only things that really mattered; as if she was a beacon of light in the darkest of nights.

"Chat… Adrien, you're starting to care me. What's going on? Did something bad happen?!" -Marinette asked him, as she began to fear the worst. She knew something had happened, that was clearly bothering the feline hero, but she did not know what it was. –"Please, say something… anything, even one of your lame cat-puns!"

But he did not say a single word. He just stood there, looking at her, almost catatonic. Beginning to panic, Marinette decided to do the first thing that came into her mind; slap him on the face. She did not want to do it, but she had heard that when one became catatonic, the best thing to do was to slap the person on the face. Taking a deep breath, Marinette did not hesitate, and slapped Chat on the face.

" _Please, forgive me for this, Adrien._ " -Marinette thought to herself.

"H-Huh, what?!" -Chat Noir asked. –"Ouch! Why did you do that for?!" -he asked Marinette, while rubbing his face, where Marinette had hit him.

"Chat!" -Marinette screamed at him. –"What's going on?!" -she asked him. It was clear to him that she was worried.

"Why did you slap me?" -Chat asked her.

"Sorry, but you looked catatonic and this was the only way to bring you back to reality." -Marinette apologized herself. –"Now, answer me, what's going on?" -she insisted on the matter. She knew there was something wrong with her friend/crush, and her heart would not settle, until she found out what it was.

"N-Nothing's wrong." -Chat Noir answered her. The truth was, he was not alright, not in the slightest, but he did not want to upset Marinette. In fact, even if he wanted to answer her, he would not know where to start. He did not even remember how he got there, in the first place. The last thing he remembered was to feel overwhelmed with everything that was happening to him, and believing he needed to go for a walk. –" _I must have transformed and go for a walk, and without realizing it, I ended up here. I must have gone into auto mode, the minute I stepped out my bedroom's window._ " -he thought to himself. Looking at Marinette's face, he saw that she looked worried. So, he decided to pretend that everything was alright, so as to not upset or worry her. –"Everything's peachy."

"Don't lie to me. I can see it in your eyes." -Marinette told him. –"Now, get inside, it's freezing out there!" -she ordered him, while pulling him inside her bedroom.

Falling on his face, Chat quickly got back up, as Marinette closed the window. It felt strange to him being there. He did not remember when was last time he had been to Marinette's bedroom. Usually, when they went on patrol, they would either meet up at their usual spot, or she would be waiting for him on the terrace. Still, looking around he saw that the décor was the same, and apart from a new laptop she got for Christmas, everything looked the same. The only thing that had clearly changed was the drawings and sketches she posted on her inspirational board.

"Sorry I slapped you" -Marinette kept apologizing herself.

"It's okay. Hawk Moth hits a lot harder than you do." -Chat said, as he kept rubbing his face.

"Chat… no, Adrien, please, no jokes. You really scared me back there." -Marinette declared. –" _I can't believe I'm not stuttering, while talking to him! It's got to be because of the superhero outfit. I never stutter when he's wearing it… that, or when I'm angry or scared. I don't even know why I'm not stuttering while talking to Adrien anymore… Focus, Marinette! There's something wrong with the boy you like, who happens to be your friend, and your teammate, and you need to figure out what it is, so you can try to help him._ " -she thought to herself, while trying to think of what to say next. –"I don't know why, but I know something's happened to you, and you probably don't want to say anything, because you don't want me to worry about it. But by personal experience, it helps when I share my problems with someone."

"I… I don't even know where to start." -Chat sighed.

"Well, it helps if you start from the beginning." -Marinette smiled at him. –"When discussing a problem, one must always start from the beginning, right Tikki?" -she asked her kwami, who was floating

"Right." -Tikki waved her head.

"Look, let's just go and sit, and you can talk about what's going on. Trust me, you'll feel much better after that." -Marinette said.

Doing as she told him, Chat sat on the chaise longue, while Marinette sat on her desk chair, with Tikki resting on her shoulder. She asked him if he wanted anything to eat or drink, but he told her not to worry, that he as fine. As for Chat, the first thing he asked her was if it was safe for him to stay there, given that her parents could show up at any moment, and she assured him it was perfectly safe. Her parents were watching television, and only her mom would come over to check on her, before going to bed in about two hours, so the odds of them being interrupted were extremely low. Thinking that he might get a little more comfortable, she asked him if he wanted to revert back to his civilian identity, but he said he would rather remain that way. Trying not to force him to say anything he did not want to, Marinette gave him time to collect his thoughts.

"Take your time. There's no rush." -Marinette smiled at him.

Doing just that, Chat tried to find the right words. He had so much on his chest, that he needed to choose what to say first. Once he did, he began to tell her what had happened to him over the past two days, starting with his aunt's visit. Hearing him speak that, Marinette could hardly believe what had happened to Adrien. She did not know what it was worst; if finding out that he had an aunt who was the twin sister of his dead mother, who blamed his father for her death, or finding out that the two of them had agreed to take him to a psychiatrist when he was little, to supress all memories he had of her, with the use of hypnosis, so that way he could get over his trauma, of losing his mother. In the end, both things were bad, and she could only imagine how he was feeling right then.

"Oh my…" -Marinette declared, shocked with everything she had heard.

"That is awful!" -Tikki cried out.

"That's exactly what I thought." -Chat Noir told Marinette and Tikki. –"And that's not even the worst part." -he said grimly.

"There's more?" -Marinette asked him, surprised. –" _What could be worse than what he told me, I wonder?_ " -she thought to herself.

"There is. You only heard me telling you what my aunt told me, regarding my mother's death. I still haven't told you the conversation I had with my dad, after dinner." -Chat Noir declared, with his head down.

( _Flashback)_

_After saying goodbye to his aunt, Adrien once again, made use of his miraculous to go back home. While running over the rooftops of Paris, he kept replaying the whole conversation he had with Elodie earlier on, in his head. Every last word she said, echoed in his mind. Though he had taken everything he had heard relatively well, with some tears to the mix, at the time, the more he thought about things, the harder it was for him to relativize and accept them. He started to feel like they had both robbed him of a part of his life, and that made him angry._

_Shortly after entering through his bedroom window and turning back to normal, Nathalie knocked at the door, warning him that dinner would be served in 10 minutes. Sighing, a few minutes later, and after promising Plagg he would bring him a couple of pieces of Camembert, Adrien made his way to the dining room. When he arrived, his father was already seated at the table. It had been the first time he had seen him, since the previous day, when he told Adrien to go to his bedroom. Greeting Gabriel, Adrien sat in his usual place, waiting for the food be brought. Usually, when Gabriel dined, it was the chef who would bring the food, but not that day. Instead of the chef, it was Nathalie who brought it. Placing it on the table, Gabriel thanked her, before asking her to leave him and Adrien alone, so they could talk privately._

_"_ _Would you excuse us, Nathalie?"_

_"_ _Of course, sir." -Nathalie said, as she left the room._

_Seeing that happening, Adrien deduced that Gabriel wanted to talk to him about something important._

_"_ _Adrien… I don't even know how to begin this conversation." -Gabriel said. He had played it in his head more times than he could remember, trying to come up with the best way to begin it. After much thought, he believed that he had found it, but now, he was not sure. –"I'm sure that you have been wondering what the words your aunt said, about me being the one responsible for your mother's death, meant, haven't you?" -he asked him._

_Adrien did not answer, but through his eyes, Gabriel saw the answer he was looking for, and that answer was "yes"._

_"_ _You did not know that you had an aunt… no, let me rephrase that. You couldn't remember that you had an aunt. And there is a good reason why you couldn't remember her…" -Gabriel stated._

_After that, Gabriel told him the exact same story Elodie had told him, except this time, that story was being told from Gabriel's perspective. And as such, details that were either omitted or highlighted by Elodie, had the respective opposite treatment in his father's version of the events. Adrien just stood there, listening to what he had to say, and all the while, the feelings he had when Elodie talked to him and told him how things happened, seemed to be coming back._

_"_ _I know that what she and I did to you… I know there's no excuse for it. I should have never allowed you to go to that psychiatrist, I know that now. But back then, I was in pain as well. I had just lost your mother, who was my whole world, and… well, I made choices that I'm not proud of. That one being one of them." -Gabriel said with a repentant voice. –"I was in pain, but so were you… and I should have been a better father."_

_"_ _It's quite alright, dad." -Adrien said. That was the only thing he could say._

_"_ _Still, that doesn't excuse my behaviour back then." -Gabriel said. –"I want you to know, that I planned on telling you about your aunt and everything else, when I felt that you were old enough; maybe in a couple of years." -he admitted._

_Adrien did not know if his father was telling the truth, or not, but there was something in his eyes that was telling him, that his father was being as honest, as one could be about a matter as serious as that one._

_"_ _But now that she showed up… I don't like to use this expression, but, the cat's out of the bag, and well… I know I shouldn't have ever done this to you." -Gabriel sighed. –"But you were so miserable, and she and I, we really thought that was the best thing for you."_

_"_ _I understand, dad." -Adrien told him. Just like it happened when his aunt told him what had happened, he felt like he could hardly blame Gabriel for it. –"They were hard time for us all." -he said. –"But, I still don't get why aunt Elodie says that you are the one responsible for mom's death. Why does she say that?"_

_"_ _Because she was the one who caused her death. It was her idea for you mother to go gallivanting to Cambodia and help her with one of her adventures." -Gabriel said, his voice filled with rage. –"Your mother… she was to stay here, in Paris, waiting for the film script to be revised, so she could start shooting. She also knew that I was going to a very important business dinner, the following week, and I wanted her to accompany me. But instead, she decided to go and visit your aunt, after she asked her… she wouldn't have died, if your aunt Elodie hadn't called her to go and meet her._

_The rage and anguish in Gabriel's voice showed that just like it had happened with Elodie, who blamed the death of Emily on him, he too blamed Elodie on Emily's death. Except that in his case, his rage was a lot bigger than hers was. He blamed Elodie for what happened to his wife, and though he tried not to show it, because he did not want his son to see him like that, he just could not help it. To him, it was worst, because every time he looked at his sister-in-law, who was the spitting image of his late wife, it reminded him that she was no longer among them, while Elodie still was._

_"_ _I see…" -Adrien declared._

_"_ _And that is why you are to never, ever, see her or talk to her again." -Gabriel said, between teeth._

_"_ _But dad… she's mom's sister! I understand that you and her are not on speaking terms, and I respect that. But not wanting me to see her or talk to her… she's the closest thing I have to mom!" -Adrien exclaimed. He could not believe his father had told him that. Over his entire life, Gabriel had enforced a set of rules, which Adrien was obliged to live under. Rules that were a bit harsh sometimes, but that could be easily bended, if he knew how to bend them, without breaking them. But this, was the first time that his father had forbidden him of seeing or talking to anyone. And that, was something Adrien could not stand for. –"You can't be serious about that."_

_"_ _I stand by what I said, Adrien. That woman may look like your late mother, God rest her soul in peace, but she's not your mother. She is not welcomed in this house, and you're not to see her ever again." -Gabriel told him with a stern, yet serene voice. –"I'm sorry, but I'm doing this for your own good, son." -he said, firmly believing in that he was telling Adrien. –"And now, let us eat, before dinner gets cold."_

_(End of flashback)_

"And what did you do next?" -Marinette asked him, fearing what Chat might have done.

"Nothing…" -Chat sighed. –"We just dined, and that was the end of it. Still, as we ate, I just wanted to throw away my plate, get up from my chair, grab him by the collar and push him out the window… but, something inside me, a voice, told me not to do it. Told me that that was wrong and that if I did such a thing, I would get into a lot of trouble." -he said. –"Don't know if that voice was either my conscience or my survival instinct, who told me to just stay put and behave. But the truth is, that if it had not been for it, I don't know if I would have stayed in my chair."

"Well… I'm glad you didn't." -Marinette told him. –"Because that would get you into trouble, and I hate to see those I love in trouble." -she said.

Marinette wanted to say something with a deeper meaning, but that was the only thing that came out her mouth. Still, Chat appreciated it, knowing that she cared about him and his well-being.

"I can't believe he's ordering me to never see my aunt again." -Chat sighed, his voice filled with rage. -"He's saying that this is for my own good… but so was getting a shrink to make me forget things, or so he thought." -he said. –"I was so mad at him, that after dinner, I went straight to my room, and I didn't even got Plagg the Camembert I promised him…"

"I'm sure he'll forgive you." -Tikki told him.

"That's a bit hard to imagine, because the next thing I did was transform and go out for a walk, which is also the last thing I remember, before coming here." -Chat said. He did not know just how long he was out, leaping from building to building, trying to cool down his mind. He did not even know why he ended up knocking at Marinette's window; if it was because her house was the closest to him, or if it was his crush on Marinette that somehow guided him towards her in that hour of need. –"And he hates to lend me his powers, before recharging properly with some of that stinky cheese he loves."

"Don't worry about him." -Tikki insisted. –"With the amount of cheese he's used to eating, every day, it will do him some good to cut on it a little, or one of these days, he'll turn into a roly-poly kwami." -she joked, making Chat chuckle, as he envisioned his kwami that way.

"What matters is how you are feeling right now." -Marinette looked him in the eyes. –"Are you feeling better, now that you let it all out?"

"I… I guess I do feel better, yes." -Chat smiled at Marinette, this time with his usual smile.

"I'm glad to hear that." -Marinette smiled. –"Though, now, I have a question for you."

"Yes, milady?" -Chat asked her.

"After hearing you say all that had happened to you… I'm sorry that I'm asking you this, I know it's not my business or anything, but I need to know. What are you going to do about it?" -Marinette asked him.

With everything that was going on, the last thing Chat thought about was how he was going to solve the problem between his father and his aunt. They could not stand to be in the presence of one another, and Gabriel had told him that he did not want him to see his aunt ever again. He would have to think really hard, how he was going to solve that, somehow, someway, and he did not know just how long he had. Elodie did not tell him how long she was going to stay in Paris, and because of it, he might have to come up with a solution really fast.

"Actually… I haven't thought about it yet." -Chat admitted. –"But, I guess I'm going to try and solve it, somehow." -he smiled. Now that he had let out all of the rage and anger that he had inside him, the feline hero felt like everything that was happening to him, no matter how bad it was, it could be dealt, and it could be solved. –"I'm going to try and find a way to get my dad and my aunt to make peace with one another."

"Well, if you need any help…" -Marinette said, as she offered him her help.

"I know I can count on you, Marinette. Thanks." -Chat smiled at her, once more.

"Not just me, Adrien… everyone." -Marinette told him. –"It's not just me that cares about you. Alya, Nino, Chloe… every friend of yours cares about you. And they have noticed that you're acting a little strange these past few days, as well as I am." -she said. –"We figured, or at least I have, that you're acting like that because the anniversary of your mom's death is closing in, which is only natural… but now, with everything that you told me and Tikki, you've got to tell the others too. You don't have to go through this alone, Adrien."

Hearing her say those words, a tear rolled down his eye, as he got up form the chaise longue and hugged her. Marinette, seeing this happening, at first, she did not know what to do, except hugging him back.

"Thanks, Marinette."

"Don't mention it, Adrien." -Marinette smiled, as she patted him on the back. –"You want to know something?" -she asked him.

"What?"

"This is kind of strange." -Marinette giggled.

"What do you mean? What's strange?" -Chat asked her.

"This… me in my civilian form, and you as Chat Noir." -Marinette giggled. –"We're not used to seeing each other like this. I mean… you know, what I mean. One of us normal, and the other one powered-up. It looks like one of those comic books, where one of the heroes is talking to someone they care about." -she said.

"A little, I admit." -Chat declared, as they broke the embrace. –"She's got the cutest eyes ever… I mean, everything in her is cute. Her eyes, her smile, the way her hair moves… wish I could tell her that. Wait a moment, I can! I can do that, right now… no, I can't. Not yet. One problem at the time, Adrien. First, fix things between dad and aunt Elodie, and then, find the courage to tell Marinette just how much you love her." -he thought to himself. –"Well, I guess I should be going. I don't know what time it is, but it can't be early, and we've got classes in the morning."

"Y-Yeah, you're right." -Marinette agreed. –"Here, let me open that for you." -she said, as she walked to the window to opened it. –"This window sometimes has a mind of its own, and you need to know how to open it, without breaking it."

"Thanks." –Chat said, as she opened the window for him. –"Oh, and if it's not too much to ask, could you not comment this whole story with anyone, until tomorrow? I'm going to tell what's going on to the others, during lunch. Like you said, I don't have to go through this alone, and who better than my friends to help out?" -he smiled, as he stepped out the window.

"I won't, I promise." -Marinette waved her head. –"Tomorrow, I'll just pretend I'm hearing everything for the very first time."

"Me too." -Tikki declared.

"Thanks, both of you. Oh, and Marinette?" -Chat said. -"I know I don't say this as often as I should, but I'm really lucky to have you in my life." -he smiled at her. –"Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Adri… I mean, goodnight, Chat." -Marinette smiled at him, as he leapt into the nearest building, disappearing into the night, soon after. Closing the window, and turning around to Tikki, the blue-haired girl had the happiest smile on Earth; a smile from ear to ear. –"Did you hear what he said to me, Tikki?" -she giggled.

"That he was very lucky in having you in his life?" -Tikki smiled heartily at her.

"Yes!" -Marinette giggled hysterically, as she grabbed the little kwami by her tiny little hands, and began to dance with her.

Right then, that was the most magnificent moment in Marinette's life. The boy she had a crush on; the boy whom she loved, more than any other boy in the world, had told her that he was lucky to have her in, in his life. Dancing like crazy, she danced until she began to fill dizzy and threw herself into the chaise-longue, absolutely thrilled.

"I can't believe he said that… to me!" -Marinette exclaimed, filling her room with laughter, as she could not stop laughing. –"He said that he's lucky to have me in his life, Tikki!" -she kept repeating it. –"I mean, it's not the same as a "I love you, Marinette", but it's close enough!"

"Marinette, calm down." -Tikki giggled, as she landed on the girl's head. –"I'm happy that you are happy, but calm down. If you keep laughing like that, your parents will come and see what's going on with you." -she smiled at her.

"I know, I know, Tikki, but… I'm so happy!" -Marinette told her. –"I haven't felt like this… I don't even know when was the last time I felt like this." -she smiled.

"I'm really happy for you. But you got to keep your feet down on the ground, and not your head above the clouds." -Tikki warned her. –"Remember what happened here, and what Adrien told us about." -she went on. –"I'm not saying you shouldn't rejoice after hearing that compliment, but you got to remember that he trusted you with a secret, about what's going on, in his life."

"I know that, and believe me, I'll be there to support and help him, however I can." -Marinette stopped laughing, and said it, with a serious voice. –"Adrien might be the boy I'm in love with, but he's also my friend, and I want what's best for him, Tikki." -she went on. –"Tomorrow at school, when he tells everyone else, what he told me just a couple of minutes ago, I'll act like I don't know a thing about it, and then, when everyone knows, I'll try my best to help him, come up with a solution."

Hearing her say that, the scarlet kwami smiled tenderly, as she hugged Marinette.

"You're always saying that you're not leader material, but once again, I see proof that you're wrong about it, Marinette." -Tikki said, as she gave her a big kiss on the cheek, making her blush. –"You're a natural leader, Marinette."

"Come on, Tikki, don't say that out loud. You're making me blush:" -Marinette giggled. –"Either way, you still want to finish watching a few more episodes of Future Boy Conan, before we go to bed?" -she asked her, as she grabbed the remote.

"Sure." -Tikki said. –" _It's best for her to relax, by continuing to watch the anime… plus, I don't mind, because I'm really enjoying the story. Tomorrow will be a strenuous day, and Marinette's going to need all of her strengths. But for now, let her relax._ " -the kwami thought to herself., as she snuggled against Marinette's neck, tickling her. –"Would you mind passing me the cookies, please?"

"Of course, you gluttonous kwami, you." -Marinette joked, as she handed Tikki another cookie.

* * *

On the streets, things were calm. Paris nightlife was beginning to settle, and with the exception of those who had to be out on the streets at that time of night, everyone was home, resting after a long and arduous day of work. Two people that were out, were none other than Arachnid and Antelope. Max was supposed to go out, patrolling with Nathaniel that night, but because Nathaniel had to go out with his parents that night, Nathaniel asked Kim, if he could go on patrol with Max instead of him. Kim, of course, did not refuse. He always had a blast, while patrolling with his best-friend. The only other person whom he liked to patrol along, as much as Max, was Alix. And on that night, things looked and seemed pretty calm, all over town.

But unknown to them, a pair of eyes watched the two heroes, as they passed by the Opéra Bastille. These eyes belonged to a hooded figure, who was watching them from the shadows. And that hooded figure was none other than Hawk Moth's newest lieutenant, Brutus. Wanting to prove himself to his master, Brutus decided to go out into the night, in search of a suitable

"If master Hawk Moth wishes to rule the world, you two, and your friends will have to disappear." -Brutus said. –"And that will happen soon enough." -he thought to himself, as he watched them depart.

Unlike Reptile and Madame Romani, who had failed Hawk Moth countless times, Brutus intended on proving himself worthy of Hawk Moth's trust, by annihilating the Miraculous Heroes, and bringing him their corpses and their miraculouses, on his first attempt. The only problem he had, was that unlike Reptile and Madame Romani, who had the power to alter their appearance, so as to blend in, Brutus did not have that power. As such, he was forced to find other ways to get by, unnoticed. Luckily, he was an experienced soldier, and knew how to use camouflage, to blend in.

Walking down the street, while keeping himself to the shadows, not wishing to be seen or spotted by anyone, who might be passing by, Brutus kept looking for anyone he deemed worthy of becoming the next person, to be blessed with an Akuma butterfly, and serve Hawk Moth. When suddenly, he notices a poster that caught his attention. This poster announced the Egyptian exhibit that was to open to the public in the Louvre, in exactly three days. But what caught the attention was the most important piece in the exhibit, which was in the centre of the poster, a mummy. The mummy of pharaoh Thutmosis III.

" _This looks promising. I must know more about this exhibit and its contents. But unlike my fellow companions, I cannot alter my appearance. I shall have to request the help of one of them to infiltrate into the museum and see what else is in this exhibit… perhaps Reptile will be the best choice for the job._ " -Brutus thought to himself.


	11. Just Another School Day

Early in the Louvre, the finishing touches were being given to the Egyptian exhibit, before the big opening. Though they still had two more days until it was opened to the public, everyone who was working on it, wanted to make sure that nothing would go wrong. And the only way to do so, was to get things ready before the big opening. That way, if there was any kind of problem, it could be solved before the visitors entered.  

Every piece that had arrived was already in place. There were still a couple of last pieces that were to arrive that day, but the main attractions had already arrived, which allowed everyone to breathe a little easier. There was a certain electricity in the air, if one could use that expression, to describe the feeling of euphoria and anticipation that everyone carried inside of them. That was to be the most important exhibit of the season, and the pressure was big, to have things perfect.

Pressure; a funny word. A funny word which was among the most important words in the dictionary of Mr. Kubdel. Determined to making sure that exhibit was a success, during the previous week, Alix’s dad had spent more time at the Louvre, than at home. And the same thing could be said for Jalil, Alix’s older brother. Like his father, Jalil wanted that exhibit to be a success. Not only because it was a big deal for both his father, and the museum, but also because, once it was over, he could go back to focus on his studies. But until that moment, he had to give 100 percent to that exhibit, which was what he was doing right then, as he and his father crossed the Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities aisle in the Denon Pavilion, on their way to the Egyptian wing, on the ground floor of the Sully Pavilion.       

“Has she arrived yet?” -Mr. Kubdel asked his son, while picking up the pace and fixing his tie, which he had noticed was slightly loose.

“Oh, yes… according to what I was told, she’s by the sarcophagus.” -Jalil answered, as he tried to keep up with his father. –“Probably making sure everything in in place.”

“Let us hope so. It was because of her that we were able to receive this exhibit here in Louvre.” -Mr. Kubdel declared.  –“Come on, Jalil, pick up the pace. We must not leave her waiting.”

Once they arrived at the Egyptian wing, the two of them saw the person they had been talking about. Wearing a white blouse with a cerulean jacket worn over it, matching cerulean business pants and a pair of white high-heel shoes, the woman was inspecting the sarcophagus of Thutmosis III, which had been shipped from Cairo, making sure that this one had not suffered any damage   Both Kubdels, approaching her, greeted her with a smile.  

“Good morning, Miss Bouchard.” -Mr. Kubdel said, as the woman turned around. –“It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” -he said. The two of them had exchanged emails, and talked over video chat, but this was the first time they met face to face.

“The pleasure is mine, and please, call me Elodie.” -Elodie smiled. –“I just wished I could have helped a little more. But due to some family issues…” -she added.

“Nonsense, nonsense, trust me.” -Mr. Kubdel told her. –“You already did a lot, by helping us during the negotiations with the Museum of Cairo, which accepted to temporarily loan us this incredibly beautiful exhibit.” -he declared.

“The pleasure is all mine. An exhibit such as this one should be seen by everyone in Paris.” -Elodie declared.

“Is everything alright with the sarcophagus?” -Jalil asked her, having noticed that she had not taken her eyes from it. –“Our team of movers was extra careful with it. My father supervised the whole thing himself, to ensure that nothing bad happened to it.”

“Oh, yes, everything is fine with it, as well as the mummy inside it.” -Elodie said. –“I was just admiring it. I’ve looked at this sarcophagus countless times, while studying it a few years ago for a thesis I wrote. And still, every time I look at it, it looks like I’m looking at it for the very first time.” -she admitted. –“It is a magnificent piece.”

“Indeed, it is. One of the most amazing sarcophagi the world has ever seen. One of the few that can compete with the Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus.” -Jalil declared, as he looked at the sarcophagus. 

“Jalil! Don’t exaggerate!” -Mr. Kubdel told his son. –“It’s true that they are both incredible, but one must not compare them, especially when they belong to complete different eras.”

“Yes, dad.” -Jalil sighed.

“Oh, don’t be hard on your son. There’s nothing wrong in comparing archaeological findings, even if they are not from the same era or the same civilization. My sister and I, we did it all the time.” -Elodie said, as those las words of hers, rekindled some good memories of Emily. –“And when it comes to this sarcophagus, it truly is a beauty. A sarcophagus fit for a king, or a pharaoh in this case.” -she added. –“Which doesn’t surprise me. He was one of the fiercest warriors in the History of Ancient Egypt, and unlike Tutankhamun, he actually lived long enough to enjoy the spoils of most of his wars.”

“They called him the “Warrior Pharaoh”, am I right?”

“Indeed. Even when he was alive, they called him that. A fitting nickname, for one Egypt’s most important pharaohs. He’s also called the Napoleon of Egypt, due to his numerous campaigns.” -Elodie declared. –“If he was alive, he would certainly have numerous stories to tell us. And the same thing could be said for his army, who was buried with him.”

“Absolutely.” -Mr.Kubdel said. –“Though, the idea of committing suicide, so they could be mummified and accompany their pharaoh into the underworld… it’s not exactly a happy thought.” -he admitted.

“Not for them. They were loyal to their pharaoh. To them, serving him was their sacred duty, and all of them would gladly go on serving him, even in the afterlife.” -Elodie said. –“The thought of his undoubtably macabre, but quite romantic at the same time, if you ask me.” -she added. –“And we’re lucky enough to also have his army here, so people can see just how incredible it looks.”

The other main attraction of the exhibit was the mummified army of Thutmosis III. But the Louvre had decided to only reveal it, on the day of the opening, as sort of surprise, when its doors opened. The army was composed by more than 200 mummified bodies, along with their belongings; weapons, chariots, which were buried with them and had withstood the test of time. Unlike the pharaoh’s sarcophagus and mummy, which were on display in the main exhibit room, along with several other pieces, the army was in one of the adjacent rooms. To ensure that the media would not know about it, the museum workers had signed a contract, which forbid them from telling anyone about it, until the exhibit’s opening. All had signed it… all, except one. And the reason why he did not sign it, was because he did not work there. Having used his powers to change into whoever he wanted to, Reptile had infiltrated the crew of museum workers, by Brutus request, and what he had found out, from listening the Kubdels and their guest, was most interesting.   

“ _A mummified pharaoh with an army?_ ” -Reptile thought to himself. –“ _This is the sort of thing that will interest Brutus, as well as our master. I must report this to him, immediately._ ” -he mused to himself.  

* * *

When the bell rang at exactly 10:30 a.m., at Collège Françoise-Dupont, Miss Bustier’s class made their way to the courtyard, where they would be having P.E. that morning, just before lunch. The week before, when they had P.E., they were told by their P.E. teacher, Monsieur D’Argencourt, that they would be practicing fencing on the following class. So, they knew what awaited them. Some were happy to practice fencing, like Mylene, who surprised herself and others, when she picked up an epée for the first time in her life, and demonstrated a natural talent for it .Others, like Alya, who were really bad at it, did not see that day’s class as something they wanted to do. Of course, the best fencing practitioner in that class, was none other than Adrien Agreste, who had been having private lessons for the past five years.

On their way to the locker rooms, Marinette noticed that Adrien was nowhere to be seen. She had been one of the first to exit the classroom, so she would have noticed him passing by her. Arriving at the locker room doors, she waited to see if he was coming, while the others entered. Everyone passed by her. Everyone except for him and Alix, who showed up a couple of seconds later.  

“Hey, did you see Adrien?” -Marinette asked Alix, as the pink-haired girl passed by her.

“I don’t know. He was right behind me.” -Alix said, as the two of them had been the last to exit class. –“Maybe Miss Bustier wanted to talk to him. He seemed a bit… I don’t know, absent-minded, today.” -she said, as she was about to enter the girls’ locker room. –“You’re coming, Marinette?”

“Uh, no, not yet. I’ll wait for Adrien.” -Marinette said.

“Okay. But remember, don’t take too long. You know how Monsieur D’Argencourt gets when we arrive late at his class.” -Alix warned her

Waiting for Adrien to show up, Marinette kept looking at the time in her cell phone. Seconds looked like hours, and the blue-haired girl was starting to worry about her friend, who was taking his sweet time to show up. Usually, she would have Tikki to distract her from that wait. But, like it happened in every P.E. class, the kwamis would stay back in the classroom, because it was a safer place for them to stay hidden, until their return. Time went by, and no sign of Adrien. Tired of waiting for him to show up, Marinette decided to go back to the classroom and see if something had happened to him. She was about to do so, when Adrien showed up, coming down the stairs.

“Hey! You didn’t have to wait for me.” -Adrien smiled at her. Once again, she noticed that his smile was not his usual smile. It was a smile one would see in a person without reasons to live, or with too many problems.  

“Where were you? Did something happen?” -Marinette asked him, as he stopped in front of her. She was worried about him, and he could tell it from her voice.

“Oh, Miss Bustier wanted to talk to me. That’s why I took a little longer.” -he smiled at Marinette.

(Flashback)

_Adrien was not in the mood to practice fencing that morning. To be honest, he was not in the mood to do anything. The chat he had with Marinette the previous night had helped him to have a decent night of sleep. But unfortunately, when he woke up, every worry he had, came back with three times the strength. If it was not for Plagg, who forced him out of bed, Adrien would still be asleep in it, without much reasons to go to school that day. The black cat kwami was a bit mad with the teenager, because he was forced to go to the kitchen himself and grab a piece of Camembert, once they got back home from that night stroll. Still, he was not going to let Adrien be late for school._

_In class, he stood in his place, listening to the lesson, without making a sound. But Miss Bustier, being the dedicated teacher, she was, she knew something was wrong with Adrien, the minute he stepped into her class. She was used to seeing him smiling and always ready to answer a question she might pose him. And on that day, he looked the complete opposite of it. Which is why, she decided to talk to him, to see if she could help him, anyway she could. Waiting for the end of class, when Adrien was about to exit the classroom, she calls him._

_“Adrien, could I have a word with you?” -Miss Bustier asked her student, who promptly turned around and walked to her desk._

_“Is there something wrong, Miss Bustier?” -Adrien asked her. He had been trying his best to pretend that everything was alright with him. But it looked like his best efforts were not enough._

_“Well, I should be the one asking you that, Adrien.” -Miss Bustier told him. –“I noticed that through most of the class, your mind seemed to be somewhere else.” -she said. –“Is there something you want to tell me? Because if you do, I’m here to listen. You know that I’m always ready to listen to your problems.”_

_Adrien did not feel like talking about what was going on with him. But Miss Bustier was too good of a teacher and person, for him not to be fully honest with her. Still, he felt that this was one time, she and her advises, would not be able to help him._

_“I… I don’t think you can help me with this particular problem, Miss Bustier.” -Adrien admitted to her._

_“Try me.” -Miss Bustier smiled at him._

_Sighing, he began to tell her everything that was going on. The only part he omitted from the story was the conversation he had with Marinette the night before. Miss Bustier listened to every word he said, silently, waiting for him to finish talking. Once he did, she did what any teacher would do, advise him, the best way she could._

_“I’m really sorry to hear you saying that, Adrien.” -Miss Bustier told him. –“I can only imagine how you’re feeling right now, because you’re in the middle of an argument.” -she said. –“Still, you must believe that things will turn out for the best.”_

_“I hope so. Because, right now, I just don’t know what to do…” -Adrien sighed._

_“I’m sure you will find a way to help solve this, Adrien. You are a very resourceful young man, and you have proven to me, and others, over and over that you can overcome anything that stands in your way.” -Miss Bustier smiled at him. Ever since he came to her class, she had seen him slowly, but steadily, break the walls he had erected around him, to protect himself from any kind of emotional heartbreak, and she was immensely proud of him. –“But always remember this; I’m not saying that you are blaming yourself for what’s happening, or that you will, if things become harder. But if you begin to do so, remember, it’s not your fault your father and your aunt aren’t on speaking terms. Always remember that.” -she told him. –“Also, don’t keep it all to yourself. Talk to your friends and tell them what you told me. Who knows? Maybe they will help you find the solution you’re looking for, as well as giving you the courage you need.”_

_And just like that, Miss Bustier did it. Her wise advises not only had managed to lift Adrien’s spirits up, but had also given him a little bit of hope, in that everything that was happening between his father and his aunt, could be solved._

_“Thank you, Miss Bustier.” -Adrien thanked her, as he spontaneously hugged her. He would not do such a thing with one of the other teachers, but Miss Bustier was special. Most of the times, Adrien and the rest of her class did not see her as a teacher, but rather an older sister, or even a mother; someone they could talk about their problems, without fearing her criticising them._

_“Always happy to help, Adrien.” -Miss Bustier said, as she hugged him back. –“And remember, if you need to talk some more…”_

_“I will keep that in mind.” -Adrien declared._

(End of flashback)  

“You told her what was going on?” -Marinette asked him.

“I did.” -Adrien admitted. –“I wasn’t going to, but, you know how Miss Bustier is. You just can’t hide anything from her.” -he said. –“ _I’m even surprised how any of us has let it slip to her, that we’re the Miraculous Team._ ”

“She does have that talent.” -Marinette smiled.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“M-Me?! N-No, of course, not!” -Marinette giggled nervously.” –“Stop that, Marinette! Just say the truth, and don’t act like you’re crazy or anything!!” -she thought to herself. –“A-Actually, I was. I was worried that something had happened to you.”

“Oh, don’t worry, everything’s fine.” -Adrien smiled at her. –“She waited for me… that’s really sweet of her. More and more, I have reasons to tell her just how much I… what are you doing? Say something! She’s going to think that you’re not paying attention to here!” -he thought to himself. –“B-Besides, I guess I needed to hear some of the advices she gave me.”

“Oh, I see…” -Marinette said. –“So, hmmm… are you going to tell the others what’s happening between your dad and your aunt?” -she asked him.

“I am.” -Adrien declared. –“After our talk last night, I was sure about telling the others about what’s happening. But then, when I woke up this morning, I wasn’t so sure about it anymore.” -he admitted. –“I guess, I needed to hear someone else tell me, what you told me last night. And in this case, it was Miss Bustier.”

“Well, like I said, she has a natural talent to tell us things that we sometimes know, but need to hear them again.” -Marinette smiled. 

They were so entertained, talking to one another, that nether of them remembered that P.E was about to start in a couple of minutes. And if it was not for Alya, who came out of the girls’ locker room, to see what Marinette was doing, she and Adrien would have continued to talk to one another, as if nothing else mattered.  

“Girl, what you doing there?! If you don’t get change, D’Argencourt is going to get mad at you.” -Alya told her.

“Oh, right!” -Marinette said, as she realized she did not have long, before the class started. –“I’ll se you in a couple of minutes!” -she exclaimed to Adrien, as she sprinted inside the locker room.

“And you? Are you going to stay there, or are you going get changed?” -Alya asked Adrien, with a joking voice. It was clear to her that Adrien and her best friend were having a moment there, and she was sorry she had to end it, but it was for their own good. Monsieur D’Argencourt was a man of little patience, and even less comprehension

“N-No, I’m going to get changed as well.” -Adrien said, as he made his way to the boys’ locker room and opened the door.

* * *

As always, Armand D’Argencourt was not in a very good mood. He insisted that his students were to be always on time, but that rarely happened. And on that morning, that was not going to happen. When the bell rang, there were still three students form Miss Bustier’s class in the locker rooms. As such, when they finally exited it, they were berated by the P.E. teacher, the same way a drill sergeant talks to recruits.

Once he finished reprimanding them, he told the whole class that they would all be practicing fencing with a partner that day, so he paired them up randomly. Marinette was paired with Nino. Alya was paired with Juleka. Rose was paired with Sabrina. Chloe was paired with Alix. Max was paired with Mylene. Kim was paired with Nathaniel. And last, but not least, Adrien was paired with Sabrina. As the lesson went on, it was clear to Monsieur D’Argencourt that some of them had improved greatly, since the last time they had practiced fencing in his classes, while others had not.     

“Very well, Miss Haprèle. Perfect position.” -Monsieur D’Argencourt said, praising her. –“You should learn from her, Monsieur Kante… bend those knees properly!” -he exclaimed to Max, who was having trouble, as always. –“Don’t you remember what I told you last time? Bending your knees properly, is essential for when you are in combat.”  

“Y-Yes, sir.” -Max said. –“ _He knows I’m no good at any kind of sports. Why does he always pick me?_ ” -he thought to himself.

“Extraordinaire, Miss Raincomprix. You have clearly been practicing your attack.” - Monsieur D’Argencourt praised her, as she managed to score a point against Adrien. –“Monsieur Agreste, don’t let your guard down!

When they were already halfway through the lesson, Monsieur D’Argencourt took a moment to once again elucidate his students, regarding what he thought fencing was all about, with one of his melodramatic speeches. After having classes with him for the last couple of years, everyone in Miss Bustier’s class agreed that the man had chosen the wrong profession, and should have studied Theatre, instead of Physical Education.

“Fencing is not just a sport. It is also an art. And like any art, it has to be practiced, in order to achieve perfection.” -Monsieur D’Argencourt declared. –“Of course, fencing did not began as a sport, but as a means of war. Sword fighting wasn’t invented because it was beautiful, it grew out of necessity. That necessity is in many ways very beautiful, in part because it speaks to something deep within us all – a fire to win, to survive, to protect.” -he went on. –“The art of swordsmanship is elevated to something higher in many cultures across the world. Though modern competitive fencing has its roots in Europe, we see the same reverence and beauty in swordsmanship across Asia, as well as in other parts of the world. Swords become these magical things. Think about the way that King Arthur’s sword is so central to the meaning of the tale; his sword was powerful and all the more so, because it was, he who wielded it. The samurai saw power in their blades. Taking on the art of the sword is an honour across many cultures, making the people that much better than they would be otherwise.”

He went on for another five more minutes, talking about the importance of fencing, while Marinette and the others kept practicing. Near the end of the class, Monsieur D’Argencourt made a point of naming those, whose performances he had liked, and those he had not.  

“Miss Raincomprix and Haprèle, as well as Monsieur Agreste, I commend your efforts in today’s class.” -Monsieur D’Argencourt declared. –“As for the rest, you have to work a lot harder, if you are to master the art of fencing. Next week, we will be practicing volleyball, so remember to bring the proper equipment. Dismiss!”

* * *

After P.E., but more importantly, after changing clothes, Marinette and the others wasted no time in going to the classroom to fetch their kwamis, before hitting the cafeteria, for some well-deserved lunch. Since it was quite a pleasant day outside, they all decided to have lunch in the courtyard, beneath one of the flight of stairs, which provided them shade and a little bit of privacy. Continuing the tradition of one of them bringing a dessert to share with everyone else, it was Ivan’s turn to bring it. And what he brought was a delicious looking Baklava, which the second they saw it, decided it was too beautiful to eat. Though, that did not stop them from enjoying it, after the main dish. 

“Mmm… delicious.” -Alya said, as she ate another bite. –“You’re saying it was your mom who made it?”

“Yes. I helped a little too.” -Ivan admitted.

“Well, you’ve got to ask her for the recipe. This is probably the best baklava I’ve ever tasted.” –Kim said.

“Hey!” -Marinette exclaimed in playful tone. –“I resent that!”

“Oh, come on, Marinette. Your parents are incredible bakers and confectioners, but I’m sure they can’t beat this one.” -Kim told her, as he practically gulped another piece, without chewing it.

“You haven’t tried my mom’s baklava!” -Marinette shot at him, playfully. –“One of these days I’ll bring it, so you guys can try it, and then we’ll see who makes the best baklava.” -she laughed.  

“If I were you, I wouldn’t bet against her, Kim. Marinette’s parents’ treats are very delicious.” -Alya joked with him.

Between laughs and giggles, the only one that was not feeling like laughing was Adrien. And it was not until Marinette decided to lay down the path, for Adrien to tell the others what was going on, by cracking a couple of jokes to make him feel a little more at ease, that he smiled for a little bit. Finally, when he felt the time was right, he asked the others if they could all keep silent just for a moment, so he could tell them something. Noticing just how serious he was looking at them, they all stopped talking, and let him speak. What followed was the abridged version of the events, told by Adrien to his friends, who all listened closely to what he said. It was not easy for him to hold his tears, when talking about it, especially because he was always remembering about his mother.  

“Oh, Adrikins…” -Chloe sighed, treating him by the nickname she had given him, a long time ago, when she still had a crush on him. –“Hearing your dad say that to you… it must have been awful” -she told him.

“It really wasn’t pleasant at all.” -Adrien tried to hold the tears.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Adrien.” -Marinette told him, pretending that she was hearing all that for the first time.

“Your mom has a twin sister… how come I didn’t know about this? I mean, don’t get me wrong, but I’m used to know things about celebrities and all. How come I didn’t know about that?” -Alya asked him. But before he could answer her, she interrupted him. –“You know what? Never mind that… there are more important things that matter.”

“She’s right, bro. Are you really going to obey your dad and never see her again?” -Nino asked Adrien.

“Definitely not…” -Adrien told him. He did not know how he was going to get his father and his aunt to speak to each other again, but he dd know that he was not going to let his father tell him, he could not see his aunt Elodie again. –“And like I said, I need to find a way to end that ridiculous fight between them. They’re blaming each other for what happened to my mom, when none of them is to blame for it. It was an accident.” -he sighed.

“Family arguments are never easy to deal with, especially when both parts believe they’re the ones who are right, and not the others.” -Alix sighed. –“believe me, I know that from experience.” -she said, remembering the countless times she had argued with either her parents or her brother, sometimes over the most trivial things.  

“But don’t worry, Adrien. Everything will turn out okay in the end, you’ll see.” -Rose smiled at him. –“I’m sure you’ll find a way for them to make amends.” -she told him.

“I’ll be honest… I wish I could be that positive about it.” -Adrien sighed. The more he thought about the possibility of not being able to come up with an idea that would work, the more depressed he got.    

“Then, in that case, we’ll transfer our positive energy onto you, along with an idea or two. What do you say?” -Marinette asked him, trying to cheer him up.

“Count on us all, bro.” -Nino smiled at him.

“Yeah. We’re here for you, Adrien.” –Sabrina waved at him.

“No matter how we can help, we’ll help.” –Nathaniel told him.

But they were not the only ones who wanted to help. The kwamis, upon listening to what Adrien said, wanted to help as well. And Muria, Ivan’s kwami spoke for them all.

“What about us? Can’t we kwamis also help? We want to help out too, you know?” -Muria asked, as he poked his head from Ivan’s shorts’ left pocket.

“Of course, you can.” -Ivan told him. –“The more the merrier, right?” -he asked the others.  

“Yeah. And we can start doing that, while we’re helping Mylene filming her short-film this afternoon.” -Rose said. –“You’re coming along, aren’t you, Adrien?”

“I don’t really have anything to do today, so… oh wait, I forgot! I’ve got my bodyguard picking me up after school.” -Adrien sighed. –“And there’s no way I can get rid of him.” -he said.

“Maybe there is…” –Alix smirked mischievously. –“All you have to do is to phone home and tell them that you’re going to stay here power-up

It was a bit risky, that was for sure. But then again, it was not the first time Adrien pulled a stunt like that. Besides, as long as he had his miraculous, he could transform into Chat Noir and get back to the school in a heartbeat, after the filming was over.  

“You know what? I think that just might work.” -Adrien smiled. It was his first true smile that day. –“I’ll call Nathalie before we go back to class and warn her.”

“Awesome!” -Mylene exclaimed, happy to know that her friend was coming with the rest of them. –“And I’ve got the perfect part for you. You’re going to love it.” -she said, as she imagined it in her head.   

“Well, you guys have fun. I’m afraid I can’t go today.” -Alya told them

“Why not, Alya?” -Mylene asked her.

“Her sister Nora has a fight this afternoon, and she’s going with the twins to cheer for her.” -Nino told them. –“What was the name of her opponent again, Alya?” -he asked her, as he tried to remember it.

“Allison Levin, I think. She’s coming from the United States, so it’s a very big deal for Nora.” -Alya said. –“And like Nino said, I won’t be able to go.” -she said. –“But, hey, this is not about me, it’s about Adrien. You make sure to cheer him up and help him come up with an idea for his predicament. We don’t want to see our feline friend without his usual grin.”


	12. Reports

After exiting the Louvre, Reptile wasted no time in getting back to the lair, where Hawk Moth, Madame Romani and Brutus awaited him. With what he had seen in the Louvre, he was certain that he would be rewarded somehow. Perhaps Hawk Moth would allow him to participate in Brutus plan to destroy the miraculous Team, whatever that one might be. Once in the sewers, he turned back into his reptilian form. He preferred it that way, because once in this form, he did not feel like he was using someone's skin on top of his. It was a rather strange feeling that one. He only felt good when he was not pretending to be someone else, other than himself. Probably because when he took a human appearance, he had to follow the rules of the society he despised so much. In his reptilian form, his true appearance, he did not have to follow any rules, other than those decreed by his master, whom he lived to serve.

When he arrived at the lair, he saw that Brutus was talking to Hawk Moth, while Madame Romani was leaning against a wall, observing them. Reptile could tell that she was not a big fan of Brutus. The way she looked at him, the way she acted when he near her, the way seemed to try and ignore his presence; all of those things were an instant giveaway that she did not like to have him around. And who could blame her? Brutus was the newest addition to the family, if you could call them that, and she was not happy about it. When she looked at him, the only thing she saw was her own failure, in fulfilling Hawk Moth's orders. If Reptile and her had managed to destroy the Miraculous Team and bring their miraculouses, Hawk Moth would have not needed to find another lieutenant. She tried not to, but every time she looked at Brutus, all she could see was failure… her failure. She had let down her master, and that just made her hate Brutus even further. Reptile, on the other hand did not hate Brutus. Of course, he did not like to think that Hawk Moth had replaced him with a newcomer. But unlike Madame Romani, whom after Brutus was recruited by Hawk Moth, spent her time cursing her bad luck, and even worst, the Miraculous Team for all that was happening, Reptile saw that as an opportunity to earn the trust of his master back. And to do that, he was willing to work along with Brutus. But not Madame Romani. If she could, she would pass on the chance of working with him. Because unlike Reptile, she liked to work solo.

" _Look at him… he thinks he is so high and mighty, just because he was recruited to do a job that we couldn't do. But just you wait, until you fail and you'll see what master Hawk Moth is really like._ " -Madame Romani thought to herself, as she kept staring at Brutus and Hawk Moth. –" _You will see first-hand that he does not tolerate any failure, and I assure you that you will feel the anguish of failure, just like we did, and when that happens, I will be there to once more prove myself as Hawk Moth's most devoted lieutenant._ " -she kept thinking to herself, as an evil smirk appeared on her face.

Noticing Reptile had come back, Brutus wasted no time in asking him what he had seen. Approaching him, the lizard man began to tell him everything that he had seen, with Brutus insisting that he did not forget any details in his narrative. Hawk Moth kept his distance from his two lieutenants, but kept listening to what they were talking about.

"An army, you say?" -Brutus asked him.

"Yes, an army. Quite large. I didn't have the opportunity to count how many soldiers there were, but the room where they were was quite large, and you could hardly enter it, without bumping into one of them." -Reptile declared.

"That is quite interesting." -Brutus said. –"If only there was a way for me to see what you saw." -Brutus declared. If he could see the room and its contents, he could have a real perspective of what the reptilian villain saw. Also, it would allow him to come up with an even more complex plan of attack.

"Perhaps, I can help you with that." -Hawk Moth smiled evilly, as the top of his cane began to glow. –"Place your hand on my cane, Reptile." -he told him.

"Which one, master?" -Reptile asked.

"Doesn't matter which. Just place one of them." -Hawk Moth ordered Reptile.

"As you wish, master."

Doing as he was told, Reptile quickly placed his right hand and he felt a jolt of energy coursing through his body, with his eyes glowing eerily- And then, something appeared on the ceiling. Images from the inside of the Louvre. Looking at them, both Brutus and Madame Romani, who remained where she had been for the last hour, realized that those images were actually memories from Reptile. Images that had been imprinted on his mind. Once more, Hawk Moth revealed yet one more of his numerous powers to his lieutenants. This one was one of the most spectacular powers he had displayed until then. But it was not just spectacular; it was also scary, because it allowed him to see through the eyes of those who served him. Bearing that in mind, Madame Romani realized that if she ever went against Hawk Moth, or had any plans to betray him, he would be able to find out, just by looking into her memories. And the same thing went through Brutus' mind, though the thought of him ever betraying Hawk Moth was ridiculous. He had given him a second chance, and he was going to prove himself worthy of such honour, by serving him, as best as he could.

" _Master Hawk Moth is really a box filled with surprises._ " -Madame Romani thought to herself, as she kept looking at the images projected on the ceiling. If one was to describe what was going on, the closest thing it could be compared was to a cinema projector, projecting a movie onto a screen.

"Incredible." -Brutus said, as he looked at the images.

"Try not to blink Reptile, and slowly turn your head to the left, so we can better see what you saw with your eyes." -Hawk Moth smirked.

Slowly, Reptile did as he was told. As he did it, Hawk Moth and the others were able to see what the whole exhibit. More than once, Hawk Moth ordered Reptile to walk in a particular direction, to continue to visualize the whole thing. And what they saw was beyond anything Brutus could have imagined. The number of mummified soldiers in the room was quite large. Seeing them, the first thing that came to Brutus' mind was how they reminded him of the Terracotta Armies, sculptures of terracotta, which depicted the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. The difference was that the Terracotta Armies were just dummies, while these mummified soldiers were the real deal.

" _With an army this large, I could mount the offensive, quite easily._ " -Brutus thought to himself, as a strategy began to appear in his mind.

This went on for almost half an hour, with Brutus telling Reptile where he should go, so he could inspect the whole exhibit and see what he could count on, once inside the museum. Though the mummified army was impressive, the same thing could be said for the weapons and other artefacts they were buried with. And of course, the fact that the mummy of pharaoh, to which they were loyal to, was on the other room, made things even more interesting. He knew that if he was to use the army in his attack against the Miraculous Team, he was going to need to also have the pharaoh under his control. Little by little, a plan began forming in his mind, which he believed would grant him victory over the heroes.

Brutus explained his plan to Hawk Moth, who listened to him closely. This, made Madame Romani even more furious than she was, because of the way he addressed to Hawk Moth, while explaining his plan. Reptile, on the other hand, listened to every last word he spoke. His plan was like nothing he or Romani had ever attempted, and that made it exciting for the lizard man, who was eager to get back in action. He had failed his master numerous times, but he believed that Brutus and his military expertise was what they needed to defeat and kill the Miraculous Team, once and for all. As for Hawk Moth, he believed that Brutus' plan was a little out of the box. If it was to work, he would have to give full control of the situation to Brutus, and that was something he was not used to do.

"So, you wish me to akumatize the pharaoh and bring him back to life?" -Hawk Moth asked Brutus. –"But instead, of being me, who has full control of the akumatized, you want to be the one to control it? Is that it?"

"Yes, master." -Brutus declared. –"I know it is a little unorthodox, but, I do believe that if you give me control of the akumatized pharaoh, I will be able to make him think that I have full control of his soul, and with it, I will have more chances of convincing him to bring his army back to life, and allow me to lead it to victory." -he explained.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" -Madame Romani asked Brutus. –"Do you think an almighty resurrected pharaoh will do as you tell him?" -she shot at him. You could hear the sarcasm in Madame Romani's voice, with her not believing such a plan would work. –"How are you going to convince him that he has to do as you tell him? Only master Hawk Moth has the power to do that, and you want him to lend it to you?"

"Yes, and it will be easy to convince him to do as I tell him." -Brutus replied to Madame Romani. –"It will be easy for me to pretend that I'm a god and that I resurrected him, so he can lend me the strength of his army in a battle, that will decide the fate of his soul and the souls of all his soldiers." -he said. –"And if I have control over him, it will be easier for me to show him that I'm not jesting."

" _He'll never go for it._ " -Madame Romani thought to herself. –" _Our master will never relinquish the power to fully control an akumatized victim to one of us_."

But to Madame Romani's surprise, Hawk Moth did in fact grant Brutus what he was asking for, and when he did that, the gypsy woman had to control her anger that was rushing through her body.

"Very well." -Hawk Moth smirked. –"I will grant you the power to control him." -he said, though he did not reveal that secretly, he was not going to give him full control of the akumatized pharaoh. He would allow Brutus to control him, but it would always be who would be pulling the strings, behind the curtains. As long as Brutus believed that he had full control, Hawk Moth would not mind telling him such a thing. –"But remember… if you fail me, you will suffer the consequences."

"Of course, my master." -Brutus kneeled in front of Hawk Moth in reverence. –"I assure you, that if I fail in my duties, I will not run from my punishment." -he said.

"Master, please, allow me to also join the fight." -Reptile asked him. –"Let me prove to you that I am still worthy to fight in your name." -the lizard man begged him.

Hawk Moth looked into Reptile's eyes and he could see the excitement, combined with rage and vengeance in them. The lizard man desperately wanted to go into battle and prove his worth. He had been humiliated one too many times by the Miraculous Heroes, and he intended to those feelings to help him in battle.

"I could use him for my plan, master." -Brutus declared. –"His cloaking abilities could come in handy. Especially, since I'm going to need someone inside, before I make my move." -he said.

"You really want this, don't you, Reptile?" -Hawk Moth asked his lieutenant, who smiled wickedly at him; his pointy teeth glistening the same way they did, before a major battle. If one of the heroes was standing next to him, he would gladly bite off its head, just to show his master how much he wanted to be allowed to battle the heroes, alongside Brutus. –"Then, I will allow you to participate in it."

"Thank you, master." –Reptile thanked Hawk Moth. –"I will not disappoint you, this time."

"You better not, or you know what awaits you, if you do." -Hawk Moth said, before turning his attention to Brutus. –"And when will you be putting your plan into motion?"

"I will need to discuss a few details with Reptile, and see what will be the best way to strike." -Brutus said. -"But I can assure you, that the time you will grant me, I will not overlook any aspect of this strike." -he declared.

"Good. To akumatize a dead person, you will need a special Akuma butterfly. My regular ones won't work on dead people or objects." -Hawk Moth declared. –"To resurrect Pharaoh Thutmosis III and akumatize him, you will need a Scarlet Akuma Butterfly." -he said. –"It will take me a full day to create one. Do you think that's long enough for you to plan things?"

"Yes, my master." -Brutus said.

"Good." -Hawk Moth said, as he made his way to his chambers. –"I will be in my chambers, creating the Scarlet Akuma butterfly, and I wish to not be disturbed, until I'm finished." -he warned his lieutenants. –"Make good use of the time you have, for once I have finished creating the butterfly, I expect you to be ready for action."

With those words, Hawk Moth locked himself in his chambers. He needed to focus on creating that special Akuma Butterfly. The Scarlet Akuma Butterfly could not really bring back someone from the dead permanently, only temporarily; maybe a couple of days, a week at best. And even so, it could not really resurrect anyone for real. Instead, it would temporarily revive one's body, while tapping into the individual's strongest memories, the same way a computer programmer tapped into a broken computer, trying to revive it. Still, with some luck, Thutmosis III would only need to stay in the land of the living for a couple of hours, for once the Miraculous team was dead, neither Hawk Moth, nor his lieutenants would not need him, any longer. To create it, Hawk Moth would need to use most of his current power, and that was going to leave him substantially drained of his magic. Still, if Brutus' plan worked, it would be worth it.

"A Scarlet Akuma Butterfly?" -Madame Romani asked herself. –"Master Hawk Moth never talked about that particular Akuma butterfly before." -she thought to herself. –"But it doesn't matter, really. This only means, that when the two of them fail in destroying the heroes, their punishment will be twice, if not trice's harder than usual. And I'll be here, to laugh like crazy." -Madame Romani mused to herself. –"Plus, I'll be looking for a new victim to be akumatized. That will show master Hawk Moth how truly devoted I am to him."

"Hey! Aren't you going to help out?" -Reptile asked her, as he and Brutus discussed the plan between them.

"I'll let you two have fun on your own." -Madame Romani told him. –"Enjoy yourselves." -she said, with a fake smile on her face, as she left. –" _I've got other things to do… like waiting for you two to mess up._ "

* * *

Once she arrived home, Juleka carefully took a sleeping Tamara, who had fell asleep earlier, from inside her backpack and gently placed her in her tiny little bed, before throwing herself on the bed. The filming of Mylene's short-film had taken longer than it was supposed to, mainly because they needed to wait for the place they were going to shoot, to clear up. That was one of the difficulties of shooting in the open. They could have shot the whole scene in the warehouse, where they had shot the previous scenes, but Mylene wanted authenticity for these scenes. And so, they filmed outside, but were forced to wait for the right opportunity to film them, which meant waiting for the place to be temporarily deserted. On top of all, because the whole class, minus Alya, came to help with the filming, and Mylene asked everyone to be in the several scenes they shot, Rose and her had their hands full with the characterization and the make-up. They had so much work, that even their kwamis, Flint and Tamara, had to help them out a little bit. When they finally finished, both girls were exhausted, and so were their kwamis. And if they asked them what it had been the hardest part, they would answer that it had been doing Chloe's make-up, who had been chosen to be one of the dead victims found by Mylene's character, mainly because the heiress insisted that she wanted to look dazzling, even as a bloody and beaten corpse.

Sighing, she just wanted two things right then; a warm meal and a goodnight sleep. Since her parents would arrive later that night, Juleka and her older brother, Luka, would have to prepare something for their dinner. Still, that thought did not stop her from placing her pillow over her face and close her eyes for a bit, especially since Luka had not arrived yet. She needed at least two minutes in bed. But those two minutes, ended up turning into almost half an hour, with her dozing off.

"Hey, sis!" -a voice was heard startling Juleka. She immediately recognized it as coming from her older brother, Luka, who had arrived home, and was now leaning against the jamb of her bedroom door. –"Rough day?"

"More or less…" -Juleka answered him, her voice slightly muffled by the pillow she had covering her face. –"Please, tell me that you're going to make dinner for us."

"What did you say? I couldn't hear you, because of the pillow." -Luka warned her.

"I said…" -Juleka said, as she threw the pillow to the side. –"… please, tell me that you're going to make dinner for us. I'm starving." -she said, as she sat on the bed.

"Starving? Whoa, what did you do to my sister, who's never hungry?" -Luka joked. Juleka was the kind of girl who would trade dinner over a light snack during week days.

"Very funny, Luka." -Juleka said sarcastically. –"But seriously, I'm hungry. I skipped my afternoon snack, because of the shooting." -she told him.

"Don't worry. I'll fix us something in a couple of minutes." -Luka declared, as he entered her bedroom, and sat on the bed, next to her. –"Remember, after mom, I'm the best chef in this house. And I can promise you, I won't let you starve." -he smirked. –"But first, let me ask you something… how's girlfriend?"

When Luka asked her that question, Juleka blushed a bit. A few weeks before, Luka caught Rose and Juleka snuggling and kissing in her bedroom, and instantly figured the two were dating each other. He became the first one to know about their secret relationship, and on the day after, Juleka asked him not to tell a soul about her and Rose, at least, until they decided to reveal to everyone, they were dating each other, which he instantly agreed to. Though they did to talk about it, from time to time, he would tease her about it, by asking just how Rose was doing.

"R-Rose? She's okay." -Juleka kept blushing.

"Come on, don't be shy around me. You know I won't tell anyone about you two… unless, of course, you want me to?" -Luka teased her.

"N-No!" -Juleka yelped, only to lower her voice the second after. –"S-Sorry… I mean, no. I thank you for not telling mom and dad about us."

"No, sweat, little sis." -Luka told her, as he placed his arm around Juleka's shoulders. –"You know that I just want to see you happy. Besides, I'd rather seeing you dating a cute girl like Rose, then a guy who ends up being a jerk." -he declared. –"Saves me the trouble of beating him up, when he breaks your heart…"

"Very funny!" -Juleka chuckled. –"You're the best big brother I could ask for, Luka!" -she declared, as she hugged him. –"Now, please go and make us some dinner… I'm really starving right now."

"Alright, alright, I'll go. But before I do that, I want to show you something." –Luka said, as he got up and walked to the door. –"You're not going to believe it, when you see it." -he said, as he exited the bedroom and disappeared.

A few seconds later, he came back and he was carrying a brand-new guitar. This one looked incredibly familiar to Juleka, who felt like she had seen it before. It took her a couple of seconds, but she recognized it, as an old guitar Luka had bought in a garage sale for 20 euros a few weeks before. It looked completely different, with a fresh coat of paint and brand-new strings. It if was not for a couple of details in its body, which remained the same, Juleka would have never said it was the same guitar.

"Whoa! It looks beautiful!" -Juleka exclaimed. –"It hardly looks like the same guitar you bought." -she said. –"It is the same guitar, right?"

"Believe me, it is the very same guitar, little sister." -Luka smiled, as he showed it to Juleka, who was amazed with just how cool it looked. –"Mom did a great job painting it and varnishing it, and dad worked his magic around the tuners and the pickups." -he said. –"I'm going to try it, after dinner, to see just how great it sounds."

"I bet it will sound beautiful." -Juleka told him. Like everyone else in the family, Luka had a natural talent for music, and he and Juleka would usually play together, whenever they had the chance.

"Care to join me, with your bass?" -Luka asked her. –"You know I always love when we play together."

"Of course." -Juleka told him. –"But first, dinner! Come on, I'll help you make it. The sooner we eat, the sooner you can try that new guitar." -she declared, as she got up.

"That's music to my ears, little sister." -Luka smiled, as the two of them made their way to the kitchen.

* * *

After dinner, at the Dupain-Cheng residence, Marinette was talking over Skype with Alya, who was telling her all about Nora's fight that afternoon, while Marinette told her all about the shooting. Naturally, Tikki and Trixx were present and more than happy to add something their holders had forgotten to say.

"It was a real shame you couldn't have come today, Alya." -Marinette told her. –"We could have used your help."

"I know, girl, but you know I had to attend my sister's match, along with the twins. Nora would never forgive me, if I didn't show up." -Alya declared.

"I know. Family comes first." -Marinette smiled. –"But tell us, how did the fight go? Did Nora win the match?"

"No… they ended up tied." -Alya said. –"And because of that, Nora's seriously pissed." -she declared. –"You should have seen the way she got out of the ring. She was so mad; she could chew nails."

"But why is that? I mean, I get it that she did not win. But at the same time, she did not lose either."

"To her, ending up tied, is the same as losing." -Alya sighed. –"And the worst part, is that during the next couple of days, it will be impossible to live with her, because all she's going to talk about is how she should have won the match, and how the other girl supposedly cheated… I can already picture it in my head, and it's not going to be pretty." -she said.

"She was really mad. There's no doubt about it." -Trixx declared, remembering the way Nora's eyes were blazing with anger.

"But did the other girl cheat?" -Tikki asked her.

"I don't think so… there was something odd about her, but I don't know what." -Trixx said. –"She was quite at ease in the ring, that was for sure. Still… there really was something odd about her." -the fox kwami said.

"Well, odd or not, she ended up tied with my sister." -Alya said.

"You think it would help, if I baked her a cake? A slice of my Cinnamon and Vanilla cake would cheer her up in a jiffy." -Marinette suggested. Nora was not a very big fan of cakes or pastries, mainly because she had to stay in shape. But she would always make an exception for that particular cake, which was her favourite.

"Thanks for the offer, Marinette, but believe me. After today, she's not going to eat a single grain of sugar for the next three months, at least." -Alya commented. –"If I know her, she'll do that to punish herself for not winning the fight." -she stated. –"Plus, I'm sure that she's going to upgrade her training exercises from hard to ultra-hard."

"That's too bad, I was really in the mood to

"Maybe some other time… but, enough about Nora and her fight. Tell me, what else happened during the shooting? Did Adrien have a good time?" -Alya asked. –"God knows that that boy needed to get those nasty thoughts from his head."

And the truth was, Marinette and the rest of the class wanted Adrien to have a good afternoon. After what he went through during the previous weekend, Adrien needed a break, and they all did their best to provide him a nice time, while shooting the short-film. When he was not talking to someone, he was busy being entertained by either Plagg or any of the other kwamis, who had made their afternoon's mission, to cheer him up a little.

"He had a good time… or, at least I think he did." -Marinette smiled. –"I wish there was a way for us to help him out." -she said with a depressed voice.

"By being there for him, we're already helping him out, girl." -Alya smiled at Marinette.

"I know that, Alya. But that's not what I mean…" -Marinette sighed. –"What I mean is, we have all these powers that were granted to us by the miraculouses, but even so, none of us has the power to make things right with a snap of our fingers." She said, snapping her fingers.

That was not entirely true. With the power of the Ampulla Amulet, they could put things the way they were. But she knew that was not what Marinette was talking about. She was talking about having the power to fix things that can not be fixed with a good old fight, like a broken heart, a depression or a tired spirit.

"I hear you, girl. It would be awesome if at least one of us could do that." -Alya said, as she too snapped her fingers. –"We would put things right in a jiffy.

"I can't even begin to imagine how Adrien is feeling… he must be feeling really low." -Marinette

"Don't worry about him, Marinette." -Tikki smiled at her, trying to cheer her up. –"Plagg will make sure that he won't get depressed."

It was true that the black cat kwami was an expert in making people laugh with his jokes and pranks. The only other kwami who could rival him in that department, was Flintt, Rose's kwami, who considered himself as the funniest kwami of all. With Plagg around to keep him company and to cheer him up, Adrien was bound to at least feel a little better.

"She's right, you know? Plagg may not have anything in that head of his, but he's got a big heart and an even bigger sense of humour." -Trixx added.


	13. Memories, Cheese and Alternate Universes

While Marinette and Alya talked about Adrien, at the Agreste Manor, the holder of the black cat miraculous had just entered in his bedroom, coming back from the kitchen, where he went to get a light snack for both him and Plagg. He hardly ate at dinner, and it was not that he did not want to eat; his thoughts on the matter regarding the fight between his father and his aunt, had taken his appetite. That, combined with the fact that his father did not exit his studio to have dinner with him that night, made him not wish to eat. Unfortunately, shortly after dinner, his stomach began to grumble and he was forced to go get something to silence it. So, going to the kitchen, he made himself a sandwich and grabbed a piece of Camembert for Plagg.

“Here you go.” -Adrien said with a neutral voice, as he handed a small piece of Camembert to his kwami.

“Thanks.” -Plagg thanked Adrien, as he bit the smelly piece of Camembert. –“Mmm… delicious!” -he exclaimed. –“And what did you bring for yourself?”

“Nothing much. Just a sandwich.” -Adrien said.

Plagg knew that Adrien was not well, ever since they left the others to continue to shoot the short-film. He knew it, but he decided not to say a thing, believing the teenager just needed some time to get his thoughts together. After lunch, when he told the team what he had told Marinette the night before, the kwami noticed that he was acting a little more like his usual self. And this went on through most of the afternoon.

“You’re starting to let those bad thoughts get to you, kid.” -Plagg told him. –“You’ve got to think about something else, you know? Trying to get those awful thoughts out of your head.”

“It would be easier if I had someone to chat with.” -Adrien sighed.

“And what am I?! Chopped liver?!” -Plagg asked him, slightly upset.

“Of course, you’re not, Plagg.” -Adrien smiled at him. It was the first time he smiled, after he left the others on the set, to get back to school, so he could be picked up by his bodyguard, who brought him home. –“But… you’re just one, while…”

“While what?”

“While… well, when I had you and the others around to talk to, it made me not think about stupid things, just like I am right now. I don’t know if it was because you were so many and I was too busy talking to you, to even consider having these thoughts that I’m having right now, or if it was because of something else.” -Adrien sighed, as he sat on the couch. –“Still, when I was had everyone around me, I felt like anything was possible, even the impossible.” -he said. –“And don’t’ get me wrong. I’m happy that all of them are worried about me and they want to help me solve this problem I’m having. But, I’m afraid that in the end, I’m the one who has to solve what’s going on between my dad and my aunt… alone.”

“I get what you’re saying, Adrien, but you can’t let those thoughts cloud your mind and your heart. And you’re not alone… you’ve got me and you’ve got everyone else in your corner.” -Plagg said, as he gulped the rest of the cheese. –“Just because they’re not here, right now, that doesn’t mean that you are alone. What they told you; all those words of advice, they’re in your head and in your heart, and you will know what to do with them. You can use them as inspiration for a plan you’ll come up with, or just to remember them and use them as motivational quotes.” -he said. –“In the end, all that matters is that you remember that even when they are not around, your friends are always with you… inside you.”     

Smiling, Adrien knew what Plagg had just reminded him was true. Sure, what he had said about how everyone had his back and that deep down, he was never truly alone was cheesy and a bit corny, but it was also absolutely true. Once again, the black cat kwami showed that even though he was a barrel of laughs, he could also be incredibly wise and thoughtful; the perfect combination, some would say.

“You’re right.” -Adrien smiled at his kwami. –“I know I don’t say this as often as you sometimes deserve to hear it, but, you really know how to cheer up someone.” -he said, as he bit his sandwich.  

“Thanks, and you’re right, I don’t hear that as often as I should, and you don’t say it as often as you should.” -Plagg declared, as he gulped the rest of the Camembert. –“Mmm… delicious! Still, I could go for another piece.”

“Don’t you think that piece I brought you is enough?” -Adrien smirked at him.

“Nope. You know me, I love to eat cheese, especially Camembert, and there isn’t enough Camembert in the world, to satisfy my little tummy.” -Plagg declared, which earned him a couple of laughs from Adrien. –“Laugh all you want, but it’s the truth.” -the kwami said. –“Tell me, could you go downstairs and get me another piece, please?”

“Sorry, but I’ve taken my shoes off, and you know what that means.” -Adrien told him. –“It means that I’m not moving out of this couch, except to go to bed in a about two hours.” -he said, as he took another bite from the sandwich.

“That would mean nothing, back in Japan!” -Plagg complained about.

“Yeah, back in Japan, maybe. But we’re in France, not Japan, so tough luck, Plagg” -Adrien joked.

“Fine… I’ll get another piece myself.” -Plagg exclaimed, as he made his way to the air duct he usually used to go to the kitchen.

Entering the air duct, Plagg did not waste any time in getting to the kitchen. His stomach was aching with hunger. No matter how much he ate, he was always hungry, especially when it came to cheese. He was able to entire wheels of cheese, if one would give him the chance. He remembered the times when that happened, almost every day. It had been a lifetime ago, with some of his previous holders. They had all treated him right, and he could not remember a holder who had ever treated him badly or unfairly, especially when it came to food. But from all of them, the one who had treated him with enough cheese to fill a pantry fit for a king, was the one who invented Camembert cheese, Marie Harel. Plagg had always been fond of cheese, but it was only when he first tasted Camembert that he promised himself, that if allowed to, he would never eat another kind of cheese, ever again. Of course, he had broken that promise more times than he could remember, mainly because even when he had Camembert to eat, he would not resist in taking a bit out of the other cheeses. And that was going to happen once again, that night.

Arriving at the kitchen, he made sure no one was around, before hovering to the pantry, where the most delicious cheeses were kept. Not seeing anyone, he allowed himself to be guided by the delicious of aroma of the cheeses he was going to eat. Once in the pantry, it was hard for him to choose which cheese would take a piece from first. The aged Camembert smelled deliciously, but so did the Gouda, the Mimolette, the Valençay, the Zimbro, the Monterey Jack, the Edam, and so many others.

“Oh, which ones should I take, which ones?!” -Plagg asked himself, as he inhaled the aroma coming from the aged Gouda in front of him. –“This one looks scrumptious… but so does this one here… curse my insatiable appetite for cheese!” -he sighed in frustration.

In the end, he decided to take a little slice from each one of them. Starting with the Camembert, he made sure that he would cut a slice of each of the cheeses. The last one he cut a slice from was one he had never heard about, the Herrgårdsost, which he felt had a mild-sweet, nutty flavour. Placing all the cheese in a plate, he needed all of his strength to carry it to the air duct. Because the plate was so heavy, Plagg was forced to eat some of the slices along the way, to make the plate a little lighter.

“Mmm… this Emmental is really good.” -Plagg said, as he nibbled the slice of cheese. –“ _At this rate, I’ll have finished eating all the cheese, before I get back to Adrien’s room._ ” -he thought to himself. 

Not noticing he had taken a wrong turn, instead of ending up in Adrien’s room, Plagg ended up in Gabriel’s studio. Upon seeing his mistake, he knew he would have to go back, but hearing Gabriel moving inside the studio, curiosity got the best of the black cat kwami, making him want to check him out. Gently placing the plate on the ground, being extra careful to not make any unnecessary noise, Plagg exited the air duct and went to check on Gabriel. He was not very fond of the designer’s studio, maybe because it looked a lot like the rest of the house; cold, distant and uncaring, which gave him shivers. The exception to this rule was Adrien’s bedroom, which was the polar opposite of the rest of the house. Looking down, he saw that Gabriel was seated on the largest of the three couches that were arranged around the coffee table, looking at a book. Looking at it a bit closer, Plagg saw that it was not a book, but a photo album; a photo album where there were numerous photos of Emily Agreste, Gabriel’s wife and Adrien’s mom.

“I know I shouldn’t be mad or angry at your sister, my love… but I can’t stop blaming her for what happened to you.” -Gabriel sighed, as he looked at one of the photos, where Emily was alone. The photo had been taken in Cannes. –“Every time I look at her, I can’t stop thinking that she’s still here, while you are not.” -he sighed, as a tear ran down his face.

Seeing him like that, Plagg saw that just like it had happened with Adrien, Gabriel was also going through a rough time.   

“I keep remembering what you told me, right after we got married… “One must never let hate into its heart, because that way, happiness won’t have space in it to flourish”… and I know that if you were here, you would be asking me to just talk to your sister and tell her it’s time to bury the hatchet.” -Gabriel sighed. –“I would love to do that, if only she would admit that it’s her fault that you’re not around anymore.” -he said, as he took the photo from the album and held it in his right hand, staring at it, as if he was trying to memorize every last detail in it.

Feeling that he had overstayed himself long enough, Plagg quickly went back into the airduct, leaving Gabriel alone, once again, though he would never know he was there with him. And as he grabbed the plate of cheese and made his way back to Adrien’s bedroom, he thought about what he had seen and heard.

“ _Guess Adrien isn’t the only one who’s in pain._ ” -Plagg thought to himself. –“ _I wonder… should I tell the kid about what I just saw and heard, or should I just shut up about it? I mean, it wouldn’t hurt Adrien to know what his dad is thinking about._ ” -he kept musing. –“ _I better tell him. Besides, it won’t hurt him to know about it._ ”

After a minute or so, Plagg opened the airduct cover and exited it, holding the cheese plate, which by then was already half-eaten. He saw that in his absence, Adrien had finished eating his sandwich, and was not watching a little bit of television; something which the black cat kwami saw as an attempt to clear his mind from all his problems.  

“So, did you find what you were in the mood for?” -Adrien asked Plagg, as he noticed him appearing from behind the couch holding the plate.  

“You could say that.” -the black cat kwami declared, as he flew over the couch and placed the plate on it. –“I couldn’t decide what to bring, so I helped myself to a slice of everything.” -he said.  –“Plus, on my way back, I made a wrong turn, and I ended up in your dad’s studio…”

“You did?” -Adrien asked him, surprised.

“Yeah, and let me tell you… your dad’s just like you right now.” -Plagg declared.

It did not take long for Plagg to tell Adrien what he saw. The blond was not surprised with what he heard his kwami telling him. Deep down, he knew his father was also in pain. His aunt’s sudden appearance had cracked open a couple of old hounds, which would take a bit of time to heal properly. He also knew that when he was feeling like that, Gabriel would open one of the numerous family photo albums that he kept in the safe, and would lose himself in the memories for a couple of hours. Adrien also did that from time to time, when he felt like remembering his mom.

“He blames your aunt for what happened to your mom, kid.” -Plagg said. –“But, from what I heard him say, he would be willing to bury the hatchet and mend fences, if she admitted it was her fault your mom died.” -he declared, remembering the words from Gabriel.  

“That’s not going to happen.” -Adrien sighed. –“You remember what my aunt said? She blames my dad for what happened to my mom, just like he blames her… and before you suggest me that I should pull a Parent Trap on the two of them, like Kim and Alix suggested me today, let me just remind you that they hate the guts out of one another. The result would be the same as placing a mongoose and a serpent in the same room, and hope they wouldn’t kill one another.” -he said.

“Actually, I was going to suggest you something else.” -Plagg smiled at him. –“I never had a holder with this kind of problems before, so I don’t exactly know how to advise you.” -he admitted. –“But, I’ve seen a lot of television ever since you placed my ring for the first time, and I think I know what you should do.”

“And what is your suggestion?” -Adrien asked Plagg.

“Well, you should try and find something that connects them… I mean, you are the obvious choice, but I was thinking maybe an object, or something that reminds them both of your mom and that would inspire them to forget that stupid fight. You know what I mean?” -Plagg declared.

“I think I do.” -Adrien said.

“Memories are pretty powerful things, Adrien. And when used wisely, they have the power to make things better, or to make them worse.” -Plagg declared. –“And in this case, whatever object you find, will surely make things better.” -he said, confident in the positive outcome of all that.

“But what kind of object could do that?” -Adrien asked his kwami.

“Maybe something from you mom?” -Plagg said. –“I remember your aunt telling you that she took every single last photo she was in with her, after your mom died. But I don’t remember her saying anything about any objects.” -he pointed out. –“Where are the things that belonged to your mom? I’m sure your dad wouldn’t have thrown them away. He’s not the sort of person who would do such a thing.”

“They’re in the attic. My dad ordered that everything regarding her was taken to the attic.” -Adrien said. In it were pretty much all the clothes she had worn, props from her films that she collected, and many other things. Over the years, some fans of her had had tried to acquire some of those objects for their own private collections, and many auctioneers had tried to persuade Gabriel to liberate a few objects, so they could be auctioned and the money raised would be given to charity, but he had always refused. –“I haven’t been up there for years now, but I think I might know where they were stored.” -he stated.

“Do you think you could go up there now?” -Plagg asked him.

“I don’t think so. Not without raising suspicions of course.” -Adrien declared. –“And before you ask, no, it’s Nathalie I’m worried about. It’s my dad. I think Nathalie would even help me with this.” -he said. –“Even if I went up there as Chat, I wouldn’t be able to get in, without breaking one of the windows to get in, raising the alarm.”

“Then, you’ll have to try and go up there tomorrow after school. Didn’t you say the other day, that your fencing lesson had been postponed?” -Plagg asked. –“That way, you can come home and check the attic, and your dad will never know.”

The idea was not bad. If there was any chance of Adrien finding out some object that could help him end that fight between Gabriel and Elodie, he would have to try. One afternoon in the attic could be the solution to his problems and with Plagg helping him, he would be able to search through his mom’s things a lot faster. The more he thought about it, the better the idea sounded like. But before he could think more about it, he lost his train of thought, as his cell phone rang, signalling that he had gotten a text. As he reached for the pocket where he had it, he wondered what could the text be about, wishing that it was not one of the others telling him there was an akuma attacking the city. After that day, he just wanted to stay home.   

“What is it?” -Plagg asked him. –“Another akuma attack?” -he asked. Like Adrien, the black cat kwami did not feel like lending him his powers that night. Still, if it was the case, he would have no other choice.

“Nope… it’s just Alix texting me that she got us tickets to see the exhibit her dad and her brother were helping with in the Louvre.” -Adrien told Plagg. –“She’s saying that she’s going to propose to Miss Bustier to take us to the exhibit. Guess we’ll be going to the opening in two days.” -he said.

“And you think your teacher will let you go?” -Plagg asked him. He knew they had the coolest teacher in Paris, but he believed that even she would have limits, as to what they could do in school.  

“If I know, Miss Bustier, she’ll even dress herself as Cleopatra, just to make things more interesting for the whole class.” -Adrien joked. –“You’ve seen her History and Literature classes… she loves to dress up. Plus, Principal Damocles won’t be able to argue that she’s taking us on a joyride, because it’s a fieldtrip to a museum, so, she can argue that it’s educational.” -he told the kwami.

* * *

Just like it happened with him before, over the course of the day, Nathaniel had had a couple of amazing ideas for his Miraculous Team comic book, and it was only after dinner that he was able to draw them. While shooting the short-film, he tried to use every little bit of free time to sketch a couple of things, so as to not forget any of the ideas he came up with. Still, only when seated in front of his desk, did he truly felt like his ideas could fully come to life. Having decided to create an alternate version of the Miraculous Team. He had already come up with an alternate alter-ego for Alix, in which she was the holder of the rabbit miraculous and called herself Bunnix. And on that day, he came up with one for Kim, and another for Max, where they would be the holders of the monkey and the horse miraculouses respectively. Looking at the designs, Mulan could not help but to think they did not look like Kim or Max.             

“Roi Singe and Pegase?” -Mulan said, as he read the names over the designs.

“Yeah. I think they’re cool names for both Kim and Max’s miraculous personas in this universe I’m creating.” -Nathaniel told Mulan, as he gave the finishing touches to the heroes’ designs. –“And before you say anything, I think that having them with French heroes’ names, instead of English ones sounds a lot cooler.” -he said. –“Monkey King and Pegasus sound like something taken of a Disney cartoon, if you ask me.”

“Well, I don’t oppose them having French names… but don’t you think they don’t look like Kim or Max at all?” -Mulan asked him. No matter how much he looked at the designs, he just could not see Kim or Max in them.

“It’s kind of the point.” -Nathaniel said, as he erased some of the guiding lines, he sketched to help him. –“I can’t make them too similar to what they look like in reality. So that’s why I decided to give them a makeover, which will help me and the readers to distinguish them.”

“And why the choice of those particular miraculouses?” -Mulan asked Nathaniel.

“Well, Kim’s always bragging that he’s the funniest guy in our classroom and he’s always playing pranks, whenever possible, and well, you know just how the monkey is associated with mischievousness… in a way, it would almost be criminal, if I didn’t give it to him.” -Nathaniel explained to his kwami. –“As for Max, well, he’s the most intelligent guy in our class, and the horse is associated with intelligence, so it figures he would end up with it.” -he said.

“I understand… still, Max doesn’t look like him at all.” -Mulan said.

“I admit that I might have been influenced by the Matrix movies, while coming up with his outfit and overall, but hey, you can’t blame me for being inspired by them, right?” -Nathaniel said, as he began to colour the sketch. –“Though, the glasses might be a little too much, I give you that. I don’t know if I’ll let him keep them, or if I’ll give him a different pair of glasses.”

“Matrix? What’s that?” -Mulan asked him, puzzled. He was not the kind of kwami who liked to watch television, and instead liked to read or to listen to music.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot that you haven’t watched them… well, they’re these movies, where they depict a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside a simulated reality, called the Matrix, created by thought-capable machines to distract humans while using their bodies as an energy source.” -Nathaniel explained to him.

It did not take long for Nathaniel to start explaining Mulan the whole story and lore of the Matrix trilogy, given it was one of his favourite sci-fi movies. And though he loved the story behind it, the main reason why he loved those movies so much, was because of the whole visual aspect of them. It was sleek and shiny, while also being rough and ungroomed at the same time. From the perspective of an illustrator or an artist like him, they were the sort of thing a person would love to conceptualize and draw.  

“So, in other words, it’s like a philosophical movie, but it has lots of action.” -Mulan said, after hearing Nathaniel’s explanation.

“Pretty much, yeah. It’s the kind of movie that even Wayzz would love, because under all those gunfights, chases and explosions, it has a very interesting story.” -Nathaniel stated.     

“Now you’re making me want to watch them.” -Mulan admitted. Nathaniel had managed to spike the curiosity of the red-panda kwami.

“Well, we can do that, right after I finish colouring these two here. I’ve got them in Blu-Ray.” -Nathaniel said, pointing to the case where he had most of his movie collection, before going back to work. –“Do you think I should give Kim red hair?” -he asked Mulan. He was having a little trouble choosing the hair colours for both Max and Kim, because he wanted to make them as unrecognizable as possible.

“I don’t know… maybe?” -Mulan said. It was a bit hard for him to imagine Kim with red hair.

“Maybe… you know what? I’m going to give him red hair, just because I can.” -Nathaniel chuckled. –“One of the perks of writing and drawing your own comic book, is that you can do whatever you want.” -he joked, as he began to colour the drawing, beginning with the hair.

He was already half-way through the inking process, when he receives a text. Asking Mulan to check who it was, so he would not lose momentum, the kwami quickly saw it was from Alix. Reading it, the red-panda kwami told Nathaniel what it was about.

“So, she got us tickets for the exhibit’s opening, two days from now?” -Nathaniel said. –“Cool! That means a fieldtrip, which also means that I’ll have a little more time to sketch the rest of the heroes.” -he declared. One of the things he loved about fieldtrips, was that no one would reprehend him for spending his time sketching drawings, as long as he paid attention to what was going on, from time to time, and if he did not disturb things.

“Are you going to show them to the others?” -Mulan asked him, curious.

“Not yet.” -Nathaniel answered him. –“I want to draw them all and then show them to everyone. Plus, I still haven’t figured out if I’m going to change the designs of Marinette, Adrien, Alya, Nino and Chloe in their miraculous forms.” -he said. –“Believe me, I still have a lot of work ahead of me.”

“You’ll make it, like you always do.” -Mulan said, cheering for him.     


	14. Attic Search

On the following morning, at school, Alix gave the good news, about having arranged tickets to the opening of the Egyptian exhibit for the whole class, to Miss Bustier, who like most had imagined, was thrilled with the news. Even though they had studied Egyptian mythology and a small part of Egypt’s long and glorious past History a few months before, Caline Bustier believed that a trip to the Louvre, to see the exhibit was an excellent idea; not only because it would allow her students to see first-hand artefacts from another Historical period, which they had talked about in her classes, but it would also give her the opportunity to get out of the classroom and enjoy a different day with her students. She loved to teach, especially since her students loved her classes, and going on a fieldtrip with them, would mean that she could give them a class, while enjoying herself as well.

“Well, first of all, I think we must thank Alix and her father for this gift.” -Miss Bustier said. –“Be sure to tell him that we thank him for this opportunity.” -she smiled at Alix.

“I’ll be sure to give him your thanks.” -Alix smiled at her teacher.

“This will certainly be a good opportunity for you to revise your knowledge of Egyptian mythology and History.” -Miss Bustier told her students, while smiling at them.  

“So, does that mean that tomorrow morning we don’t have to come here, before going to the museum, Miss Bustier?” -Kim asked his teacher.

“Yes, yes it does, Kim.” -Miss Bustier smiled. –“We’ll meet at the Louvre, half an hour before they open the exhibit’s doors.” -she said, before turning her attention back to Alix, who was still in front of her. –“Tell me, Alix, do you know just how big the exhibit is, or maybe, how long will it take to see it?”

“Not exactly, Miss Bustier. I haven’t had the chance to visit it myself.” -Alix admitted. Her father, and her brother had invited her a few times to do so, over the past couple of days, but she was either not in the mood, or was too busy to do it. –“Still, from what I talked about with my brother, it’s a rather big exhibit. He told me that if a person were to admire everything that is displayed with time and attention, you would need a whole day to see the exhibit… in other words, it’s going to take us at least the whole morning and part of the afternoon.” -she said, knowing that when Jalil spoke about things that way, meant that a normal person, who was not totally interested in it, would take at least four to five hours to see everything. –“So, we’re bound to have lunch at the museum.”

“I see. Then, you might as well take lunch with you, as well as one or two pieces of fruit, everyone.” -Miss Bustier told the whole class. –“Once again, tell your father, that on behalf of our whole class, that we thank him for this opportunity.” -she kept smiling at the pink-haired teenager.

“I will, Miss Bustier.” -Alix declared, as she returned to her seat.

“And now, I think it’s time for us to begin our class. Today, we’re going to talk about the French Revolution, while also talking a bit about the pantheon of Egyptian deities, to jog your memory, for tomorrow’s fieldtrip. We’re also going to talk about Marceline Desbordes-Valmore and her work, Les Pleurs. And last, but not least, after lunch, we’re going to focus on Algebra. Your test is coming in two three weeks, and we must make sure that you’re ready to take it.” -Miss Bustier told her class, as she sat behind her desk. –“Let’s not waste another moment. Open your text books on page 126…”  

Lunch hour arrived incredibly fast, thanks to Miss Bustier, who once more, had managed to turn her lessons into something incredibly interesting for the whole class. Because it was a sunny day, the whole class decided to go to the school’s rooftop to have lunch. And because they knew they were usually the only ones who went up there, they decided to have lunch with their kwamis for a change. Still, so as to not be surprised by any other student, or staff member, they locked the door. Usually, access to the rooftop would be restricted; the exception would be in days where the school hosted a party or any sort of ceremony. Still, that did not mean squat for Miss Bustier’s class, because they had the key to the door.

In fact, the way a group of students managed to get full access to the school’s rooftop, without anyone else noticing, had a really funny story behind it. They had found the spare key that unlocked the door the year before, on the floor. In fact, it had been Kim who had found it, and instead of returning it, he decided to keep it, thinking the rooftop would be a good place to practice some radical stunts, without anyone interrupting him. The chances of getting caught, every time he went up there, would make a reasonable person think twice about keeping the key. But not Kim. That only made things even funnier for him. Eventually, he told everyone else in the class about his finding, and they all told him that he should just return it, of which he did not. When they returned from vacation, he thought that by then someone would have noticed the key would be missing, and would have changed locks. But did not happen. Somehow, someway, no one noticed it, and the key continued to work. Over the course of that school year, that came in handy more times they could count now, not only for them to have lunch in peace, but also to use, whenever there was an Akuma emergency and they needed a place to change into their superhero alter-egos, without being spotted.

As he locked the door, Kim thought once more that finding that spare key had been the best thing that ever happened to him; right after getting his miraculous, of course. That, would always be the best thing that ever happened to him, without any shroud of doubt.    

While eating their lunch, Adrien told everyone about how he and Plagg had come up with a plan to mend things between his father and his aunt.   

“Maybe you could help Adrien out with it, Chloe.” -Pollen whispered to the blonde’s ear. –“You said you wanted to help him out.” -the bee kwami said.

Hearing her say that; Chloe smiled. Pollen was right. This was the perfect time for her to help Adrien. But she was not going to help him, the way most people, and even her kwami, would think.

“Oh, I would love to help you, Adrikins, but unfortunately I already have plans for this afternoon.” -Chloe told Adrien, calling him by the nickname she had given him. –“But, I’m sure that someone else won’t mind giving you a hand.” –the heiress said, as her eyes looked at a particular person, who right then was feeding a cookie to her kwami. –“Why don’t you lend a hand to Adrien, Marinette?”

“M-Me?!” -Marinette exclaimed, a little shocked. From all the people there, the blue-haired girl wondered why Chloe would suggest her for the job.

“Yes, you. I don’t see anyone else here, whose name is Marinette, right?” -Chloe declared in a sarcastic tone. –“Before classes started, I remember hearing you tell Alya that you had nothing to do this afternoon… so, why don’t you help him out?” -she asked her. 

It was true. Marinette had nothing to do that afternoon. She was supposed to babysit Manon, by her mom had called her the night before and told her that she was taking Manon with her to work instead.

“W-Well, it’s true, I don’t have anything.” -Marinette admitted. And the chance of being alone with Adrien was something too good to pass. Plus, as his friend, she was more than happy to lend him a hand.

“Then, it’s settled. Adrien, Marinette’s going to help you.” -Chloe said, as she casually grabbed her plate and got up. –“And now, if you don’t mind, I think I’m go to finish eating, while also stretching my legs a little bit. I can’t feel them any longer.” -she declared, as she slowly walked away, leaving the rest of the class to wonder

The whole thing left Marinette to wonder why Chloe had done that. And she was not the only one. Her kwami, Pollen, who had followed her, was also asking herself, why the heiress had done such a thing.

“Why did you do that?” -Pollen asked Chloe. –“I thought you wanted to help Adrien.”

“I am helping Adrien, Pollen.” -Chloe smiled at her kwami. –“I’m helping him and I’m helping Marinette, at the same time.” -she kept smiling. –“Remember when I told you that I was really over Adrien and that I now only see him as a friend, whom I know I’ll always be able to count on? Well, this is me proving that… everyone in our classroom sees that those two were meant for each other, including me. So, I’m going to give Adrien, as well as Marinette, a chance to finally figure that out… besides, that attic is filled with dust and cobwebs. Do you really think I, Chloe Bourgeois, would ever get caught in a place like that?”

Hearing her say that, Pollen cursed herself for not having figured right away, what Chloe had done. And when the blonde told her, the bee kwami felt incredibly proud of her holder, and of her decision. And she was not the only one. Sabrina, being her best friend, saw the whole plan coming a mile away, and could not help but to smile at Chloe.

“ _That Chloe… how can she think for a second that she hasn’t changed? She’s a whole new person, and this proves it._ ” -Sabrina thought to herself.   

“Well, if you want to come and help me…”

“S-Sure. I’d be happy to.” -Marinette smiled at him. –“D-Does anyone else want to come?

No one said a word. Like it had happened with Pollen and Sabrina, everyone understood what Chloe had done, and decided that she had done the right thing. Marinette and Adrien could handle searching the attic of Agreste Manor on their own; plus, some alone time, just the two of them, could be the thing they needed the most, right then.

“Then, I guess it’s just the two of us, Adrien.” -Marinette smiled nervously at him. –“Why am I smiling like this?! Stop smiling like that, Marinette! You’re going to make him think that you’re freaking out, and you don’t want that, now do you?!” -she thought to herself, while trying to smile normally.

“Y-Yeah, I guess it’s just the two of us, then.” -Adrien smiled at Marinette. –“I don’t know why Chloe did this, but I’m not going to complain. Getting to spend some alone time with Marinette… maybe I’ll finally tell her that I have a really huge crush on her…” -he thought to himself.

“I really wanted to go, but…” -Alya declared, before she was interrupted by Trixx.

“She’s got to keep an eye on those two little devils this afternoon.” -Trixx finished Alya’s sentence.

“Y-Yeah, and you all know just how they can be, if we give them the chance.” -Alya said. Though she was lying about having to babysit her younger sisters, she was not lying about how the two little monkeys were. If a person would give them a hand, they would take the whole arm.

“Tell me about it. I have to take Chris to the dentist today, because my mom can’t go with him.” -Nino also lied.  

Everyone who did not have any real plans for that afternoon, lied about not being able to help Adrien, because they all believed that was the perfect occasion for either him or Marinette to confess their feelings for one another, and they did not want to ruin a moment like that, if it would to pass.   

“It’s okay. Marinette and I can handle this.” -Adrien said.

“Absolutely. Plus, we’ll have Tikki and Plagg here to lend us an extra hand.” -Marinette smiled at her kwami, who had just finished eating her last cookie.

“Of course.” -Tikki asserted with her head. –“It’ll be our pleasure.”

“As long as you give me some cheese, when we’re finished, I’ll help you.” -Plagg declared, as he bit a piece of cheese.

“Plagg!!!” -Tikki yelled at him.

“What?!” -Plagg asked her, wondering what he had said, that had made her yell at him.

“You only think with your stomach… sometimes I wonder if instead of having a brain inside that head of yours, you have a slice of cheese.” -Tikki shot at him.

“Well, nobody’s perfect.” -Plagg said, as he gulped the rest of the piece of cheese, not caring about what the scarlet kwami told him.

“ _Sometimes I don’t know why I even try to reason with him…_ ” -Tikki thought to herself, while shaking her head.  

* * *

When classes ended, Gorilla was waiting for Adrien by the school’s front steps, like he always did, when he came to pick him up. But this time, when Adrien showed up, he was not alone. Stopping in front of his bodyguard, Adrien quickly told him that Marinette was coming with him, because he needed some tutoring, and Marinette was the one who knew more about the subject he needed tutoring. As always, Gorilla did not say a word, and instead just nodded with his head, as he headed towards the limousine. Opening the passenger’s door for both Adrien and Marinette, once they took a seat, he closed the door and quickly made his way to the driver’s seat. As he turned on the engine, Adrien turned on the privacy glass, so he and Marinette could have some privacy.  

The two of them remained silent through most of the trip. It was only when they were nearing Agreste Manor that the silence between them disappeared, as they engaged in casual conversation.

“I know I said this before but, thanks for coming to help me, Marinette.” -Adrien smiled at her.

“I-It’s okay.” -Marinette said. –“It’s like Chloe said. I had nothing to do this afternoon, so I might as well help you with that subject you’re having some difficulties in.” -she said, being careful with her words. She did not want to risk saying something she should not, because the Gorilla could hear her through the privacy glass.

“Y-Yeah, I’m really in need of some tutoring.” -Adrien said, trying to sound natural, while also winking his left eye at Marinette, who blushed lightly.

“L-Like I said, it’s my pleasure.” -Marinette smiled back at him. Looking at him, she could not help but to admire Adrien’s dazzling smile. –“ _I know I’m always saying this to myself, but… he’s got the handsomest smile in the world. I mean, when his Chat Noir’s smile is really something as well, but his regular smile is even better._ ” -she thought to herself.

“ _I wish she would stop staring at me… if she keeps doing that, I’ll start to blush._ ” -Adrien thought to himself. A part of him wanted that to stop, but the other wanted Marinette to keep staring at him.   

* * *

Once they arrived, they were greeted by Nathalie, who opened the door for them. Seeing Marinette with Adrien, she he was a bit surprised, but at the same time, she was happy to see her. With everything that was going on in his life, more than ever, she felt Adrien needed his friends by his side. As they entered, Nathalie asked herself if Adrien had told Marinette or any other of his friends what had happened.

“Hope you don’t mind, but Marinette came to help me with something, Nathalie.” -Adrien said.

“It’s a pleasure to see you once again, Miss Sancoeur.” -Marinette smiled at Nathalie.

“The pleasure is all mine, Marinette, and please, there’s no need to address me by my last name. Nathalie will do just fine.” -Nathalie smiled back at the blue-haired girl.

“Is my dad at home?” -Adrien asked Nathalie.

“No, I’m afraid he isn’t, Adrien.” -Nathalie answered him. Gabriel had left after breakfast, along with Nina, and had told Nathalie that he would come back by dinner time.  

“Then… could we talk to you about something?” -Adrien asked her, in a timid voice.

“About what?” -Nathalie asked.

Quickly, Adrien told Nathalie about his plan, and she listened carefully. Marinette wished to help him convincing Nathalie, but felt like it was not her place to do so. Instead, she remained silent, hearing every word that came out of Adrien’s mouth, while hoping the words would touch Nathalie’s heart into helping them. Of course, Adrien, who knew Nathalie much better than Marinette did, knew that she would help them out. All he had to do was ask her, while pretending that he was not sure if what he was going to do was right or not. After he finished talking, there was a brief moment of silence between him and Nathalie, when she looked him in the eyes and smiled.   

“I see… you did well to ask me that.” -Nathalie smiled tenderly at him. –“You two wouldn’t have been able to get into the attic, even if you wanted to. It’s locked and only I know where the keys are.” -she declared.

“Then, that means you’re going to…”

“Yes, I’m going to help you.” -Nathalie went on smiling. –“I know that what’s going on between your father and your aunt should not be my business, but… but I can’t just stand and do nothing, when you’re caught in the middle of their fight, and are the one who’s getting hurt.” -she said. –“I’ll go get the key to open the attic’s door. In the meantime, you and your friend go up the stairs, and wait for me there.”

“Alright. Oh, and Nathalie… thank you.” -Adrien smiled.      

Going up the stairs, it took them about two minutes to get to the attic. Just like the rest of the house, the attic’s door was quite opulent. Looking at it, Marinette would have never guessed that that door would lead to the attic, instead of a library or a ballroom. Shortly after, Nathalie arrived, carrying the attic’s key. Opening it, she revealed, to Marinette’s surprise, that that door lead to a small corridor, and not the attic itself. The door to the attic was located at the end of that corridor, and it was a much smaller and simpler door. Stopping in front of it, Nathalie pulled another key, this one a little smaller than the first one and opened the door for them.

“There, it’s open.” -Nathalie declared. –“Are you sure you can handle this? If you want, I can lend you two a hand.” -she told them.

“Thanks, Nathalie, but there’s no need for that. I think Marinette and I can handle this.” -Adrien told his dad’s secretary. –“Still, if we need anything, I’ll be sure to call you.”

“Very well. But you might want to come down here to do it, because there’s no signal inside the attic.” -Nathalie warned them. –“Happy hunting, and I so hope you find the object that you think will make your father and your aunt to make peace with one another, Adrien.” -she said, as she left.

Waiting for Nathalie to disappear out of sight, Adrien turned the doorknob and opened the door. It had been years since he had been there for the last time, so he did not remember what exactly was behind that door. Once it was open, it revealed a ladder. Shrugging, he smiled and told Marinette to follow him. Going up the ladder, Adrien warned Marinette about readying her cell phone.

“Better have your cell phone at hand, we’re going to use them as flashlights.” -Adrien told her. –“I don’t think the attic has any lighting, as far as I remember.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t worry. You have me, remember?” -Plagg said, as he jumped out of the pocket in Adrien’s shirt. –“I can see in the dark.”

“Well, that’s good to know.” -Adrien said, without really listening to him, as he reached a trapdoor, pushing it. –“Okay, here we go.”

Opening it, the trapdoor upon hitting the floor echoed all over the place, as a thin layer of dust made Adrien sneeze. Trying to ignore it, he climbed the last couple of steps and turned on the flashlight on his cell phone, while waiting for Marinette to come up. Once he saw that she was nearly arriving at the top of the ladder, he extended his hand to help her up. Looking around, they both tried to make heads from tails of what it was around them. Pointing her cell phone upwards, Marinette noticed that the attic was quite large and dome-like. From what she could see most things were all covered with white sheets to prevent them from gathering dust. Still, there were also things that were not covered by sheets and were covered in dust. The whole place looked like something straight out of an old haunted house.

“Sorry about the mess. I don’t think anyone has come up here in a very long time…” -Adrien apologized to Marinette, as his eyes began to get accustomed to the darkness and it became easier for him to make out what was around him.

“It can’t be worse than the attic at my grandma Gina’s house… I mean, I hope it isn’t.” -Marinette declared, as she pointed her cell phone to illuminate something that had caught her eye. –“What’s that?” -she asked, as she tried to make what it was she was looking at. The sheet covering it did not help, but she felt like it was staring at her. –“It looks like… a person?”

“It’s probably just one of the numerous mannequins that my dad stored up here.” -Adrien told her.

“Oh, I see.” -Marinette said, as she walked to it. After staring it for a couple of seconds, she pulled the sheet to reveal an old mannequin. –“It is a mannequin, alright.”

“See, what did I tell you?” -Adrien said. –“You know, some people actually think that when going up into an attic, they will find precious treasures and all that stuff, only to find trash and things whose only value they have is the sentimental one to a person, or a series of persons.” –he said.

“That was deep, you know?” -Plagg pointed out.

“I can be a deep guy, when I want to, Plagg.” -Adrien joked.   

“It is a bit true what you said. But in other news, I really wish there was a way for us to have some light in here.” -Marinette said. –“Without it, it’s going to be really hard for us to know where we need to look, as well as to know what we’re looking for.” -she declared, as she made her way to where Adrien was. –“Are you really sure there isn’t any illumination here?”

“Afraid not.” -Adrien said, as he thought about how nobody had ever had the idea to install a single lightbulb in that attic.

“I don’t know why you’re saying that… why don’t you just open the window?” -Plagg said.

“What window?” -Adrien asked Plagg. He did not remember about existing a window in that attic.  

“The huge large circular window with a flower design… or maybe it’s a butterfly, I don’t know.” -Plagg declared. –“Still, it’s right there and it’s quite large. I mean, from what I’m seeing, we can basically open it and we’ll have a little light in here.” -he said.  

“How can you see all that?!” -Adrien asked his kwami.

“Like, hello, I told you a few minutes ago, I can see in the dark, remember? If I couldn’t, then how would you be able to do so when you’re Chat Noir?” -Plagg told him, in a sarcastic voice. –“You’ve got to start learning to listen to me, Adrien.”

“I do listen to you.” -Adrien shot at him.

“Not when you should, trust me.” -Plagg shot back at him.

“Well, if you’re that good, then, why don’t you guide Adrien to it and help him open it, so we can all see what’s around us?” -Tikki asked him. She had been pretty much silent, since they left school, but decided to speak, because on that day, for some unknown reason, she was not in the mood to listen to Plagg’s complaints.    

Doing as he was told, the little black cat kwami guided Adrien to the window, being careful to warn him to go either left, or right, so he would not hit something. Even with the cell phone doing the job of a flashlight, and his eyes already a bit accustomed to the darkness, it was still a bit hard for him to move. Arriving at it, Plagg pointed out, where the lift cord was. Opening it, the whole room was flooded with light. It was only then that they all realized just how large the attic was, and just how much junk there was in it. In Marinette’s mind, the first thing that popped up in it, was just how Adrien’s attic resembled the Room of Hidden Things, from the Harry Potter books; not for its size or shape, but because of the amount of different items that had been placed there over the years, so they could collect dust and cobwebs.

“O-kay… so, where do we start?” -Marinette asked

“I don’t know actually.” -Adrien chuckled nervously. –“I thought I knew where to look, but this place changed a lot, since I last came here. But, if you agree, I’ll start from this side, while you start on that side, and we’ll meet at the middle.” -he suggested.

“Sound like a plan.” -Marinette agreed. –“But, you still haven’t told me what we’re looking for.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry…” -Adrien chuckled nervously again. –“Well, we’re basically looking for stuff that belonged to my mom. Clothes and other objects.”

“Okay, if I find something, I’ll let you know.” -Marinette said. –“You will too, won’t you, Tikki?”

“Of course, Marinette.”

“Alright. Plagg and I will do the same.” -Adrien warned them, as he pulled a sheet, to see what it was underneath it. 

Starting their search, it did not take them long to see that that was not going to be an easy task. There was so much junk around, that they had to go over everything, to make sure nothing escaped them. True to the very first impression she had of the attic, as time went by, Marinette felt like she was really in the Room of Hidden Items, looking for one of Voldemort’s horcruxes. And the same thing could be said about Adrien, who never imagined that the attic would have so many things stored in it. Even with the help of Tikki and Plagg, that seemed like an almost impossible task. Without them realizing it, two hours went by in a blink of an eye.

Exhausted, tired of sneezing every two minutes or so, sweating due to the stale air, and in need of a break, the two teenagers and their kwamis sat on an old table, after taking the enormous piles of books that were on top of it. Checking their cell phones, they saw that they had been doing that for nearly two hours then, and could not help but to feel like time had gone by that fast.

“I’m starting to think… that there’s nothing of your mom in this attic.” -Marinette told Adrien, as she wept the sweat from her forehead. –“Are you sure your dad really placed your mother’s things here?” -she asked him, as she took off her jacket. Once she did it, she felt a little better.   

“As far as I know, they’re somewhere around here… if they weren’t, Nathalie would have warned me. The one thing I know isn’t here are her jewels. My dad has them safe, somewhere else.” -Adrien insisted on the matter. –“If you don’t mind, I’m also going to take my jacket… it’s getting really hot in here.”

When Adrien did that, Marinette could not help but to blush a little bit. Adrien looked even handsomer without his jacket. Combined with how messy his hair looked from all the sweat, it was hard for her not get a little aroused. And though she did not notice it, Adrien also blushed for a second, when she took off her jacket. He had never told anyone, not even Plagg or Nino, but if there was one part of Marinette’s body that aroused him, were her shoulders. He did not know why, but her shoulders looked incredibly attractive to him.

“Much better… too bad we don’t have any air conditioner in here.” -Adrien said, as he tried not to look at Marinette, afraid that he might start blushing too hard, from just staring at her. –“I know I’m repeating myself, but, thanks for helping me with this, Marinette.”

“Well, I don’t mind you repeating yourself, and I certainly don’t mind repeating myself, when saying that it’s my pleasure.”  -Marinette giggled.  

“ _Oh, come on, just kiss her already! She won’t mind, Adrien!_ ” -Plagg thought to himself, as he looked at the two of them.

“ _Love is certainly in the air… why doesn’t Marinette just tell him how she feels about him?!_ ” -Tikki thought to herself. She really wanted to say something that would make Marinette speak about her love for Adrien, but at the same time, she knew it was not her right to do so.

It felt like the right time to say something; Marinette knew it. It was the perfect time. They were both alone, even if their kwamis were with them, and there was no chance of them being interrupted. Still, once more, her fear of rejection prevented her from saying anything about her feelings for him, and instead, said the first thing that came to her mind.

“H-Hey, have you noticed that both of us, are sort of like, symbolizing yin and yang, thanks to our clothes?” -Marinette asked him.

“W-What do you mean?” -Adrien asked her, intrigued.

“Well, today I’m wearing a white shirt and a black jacket, while you were wearing a black shirt and a white jacket… if you look at it from a certain perspective, it’s like we’re both living yin and yang symbols.” -Marinette giggled nervously, asking herself why she said something like that. –“ _Oh, Marinette, why did you have to say something like that?! Adrien’s going to think that you are weird! If you keep acting this way, he’ll never see you as more than just a friend!_ ” -she thought to herself.  

“Y-Yeah, I hadn’t noticed it, you know?” -Adrien said, smiling, as he cursed himself. –“ _Oh, come on, Adrien, what are you doing?! Don’t tell me you couldn’t come up with something else better to tell her?!_ ” -he thought to himself. –“ _Marinette’s going to think I’m a complete idiot or a jerk! At this rate, I’ll blow any chances of her ever seeing me as more than just a friend!_ ”

The whole scene looked like something straight out of a failed improv gag. Seeing it happening, the black cat kwami could not believe it, just how Adrien had lost what it had been his best chance confess his true feelings for Marinette.  

“ _I can’t watch this… it’s just… the kid blew it!_ ” -Plagg shook his head in disbelief. –“I think I’m going back to searching for your mom’s stuff” -the black cat kwami told Adrien.

“Alright, but be careful. We wouldn’t want you to get flatten like a pancake.” -Adrien warned him.   

“Maybe, we should also get back to work, don’t you think?” -Marinette asked Adrien.

“I guess we should.” -Adrien agreed with her. –“We still have a lot of ground to cover, so to speak.” -he said.

Getting back to work, the two teenagers and their kwamis kept looking for anything that had belonged to Adrien’s mom. But the only thing they were finding were either dusty books, furniture and other kinds of useless junk. To make matters worse, every time they pulled a sheet, the dust that had settle on it spread all over the place, including the air, making them sneeze. Plagg himself sneezed so hard that he ended up propelled backwards, flying over a couple of meters, before hitting something hard, which made him fall under a sheet.

“Ouch… with this much dust in the air, I’m going to need a handkerchief and a bath after this, and… whoa, there, what is this?!” -Plagg said, as he looked up and saw something that caught his attention, a painting. –“That looks like… hey, I think I found something!”

“What? What did you find?!” -Adrien asked him, as he tried to get to where Plagg had fallen.

After a couple of seconds of suspense, Plagg came out from under the sheet, pointing to where he had found, whatever it was he had deemed worthy of attention. Arriving near Plagg, the kwami told Adrien, Marinette and Tikki that they had to see what was beneath that sheet. Not wasting time, Adrien pulled the sheet to reveal an object he had not seen for a couple of years now. A painting; better yet, a portrait of him, with his parents standing behind him.  

“Oh my… it’s like the portrait that it’s in your foyer’s staircase… except that this one has your mom in it and you look much younger.” –Marinette stated, as she admired how cute Adrien looked when he was younger.

“I remember this one… I had to pose for it for nearly a week.” -Adrien said, as he looked at it. –“It had been my mom’s idea for us to have our portrait done.” -he said, as a tear rolled down his face, from seeing his mom’s image, staring at him. –“It used to be hanging where my portrait with my dad is nowadays. I didn’t even know it was up here. I thought that he had either stored it in a bank vault somewhere, or something….” 

“Guess not.” -Marinette said, as she shyly placed her hand over Adrien’s left shoulder. –“It’s a shame your dad replaced it with the one that’s in the staircase now. This one’s older, but in it you all look so happy.” -she pointed out. Marinette felt that the painting that was now in the foyer’s staircase, featuring Adrien and his dad looked incredibly sombre and devoid of happiness. It was pretty, no doubt about it, but just because it looked pretty, it did not mean it overflowed with joy, like the one in front of her. –“If this ends up the way it should end up, you’ve got to convince your dad to replace that painting with this one.”

“I would really like that, believe me.” -Adrien smiled at her.    

“You know, if this is here, then, maybe the rest of your mom’s things are somewhere around it.” -Plagg speculated.

“It’s worth taking a look at it.” -Adrien agreed, as he tossed the sheet to the side, and proceeded to grab one of the numerous boxes that were laying near the painting, so he could open it. –“Let’s start opening these, and hope there are what were looking for.” -he said, with a hopeful voice.   

Going through all the crates and boxes that were nearby, they found out that what they were looking for, was not in half of them. But when it came to the other half, that was a whole different story. The other half was filled with numerous things that belonged to Emily Agreste, which ranged from clothes and shoes, to some personal objects, books and even props from her movies, that she had collected.    

“I can’t believe this. It’s the Golden Tulip from the movie “Dutch Connection” … I always wondered where it had ended up.” -Marinette smiled, as she carefully looked at the beautifully crafted jewelled brooch, that was known by many movie aficionados as that movie’s most iconic prop. –“You don’t know just how much my parents love that movie. My dad even offered my mom a replica of this brooch on one of her birthdays, you know?” -she declared, while still looking at the   

“I never really watched that one. It’s probably one of the very few movies my mom made that I haven’t watched.”

“What about this one, here?” -Tikki asked, as she opened another little box. –“A gun?”

“I recognize that one too. It’s the GSh-18 your mom used in “Crimson Alert” … I love her in that movie.” -Marinette sighed, as she remembered the movie in question.

“It was the only action movie my mom ever made, where she played a Russian secret agent.” -Adrien said. –“I remember visiting her on the set one day, where she was supposed to be memorizing her lines, but instead, took me to meet the other actors, and her stunt double.” -he sighed, as he reminisced about that day, which seemed like it had happened a whole lifetime ago. –“Did you know that she actually learned to speak Russian for that movie?”

“I had no idea.” -Marinette admitted, as she wrapped back the Golden Tulip prop and placed it back in the little box it was in, before turning her attention to another box that was near her. Opening it, she saw that it was filled with more books. –“Guess this one isn’t what we’re looking for.” -she said, pushing it to the side.

“Well, this one looks like it…” -Plagg said, as he opened another box and checked it to see it was filled with numerous clothes, all of them perfectly folded. –“But I don’t think   

“Let me see that… Whoa, your mom sure had great taste. This dress is beautiful.” -Marinette said, as she carefully held it, taking her time to see the details. –“Is this one of your dad’s originals?” -she asked, thinking that it had numerous details Gabriel usually put on his designs. 

“It must be. My dad pretty much did all of my mom’s dresses. He designed and sew them, all by himself.” -Adrien said. –“He insisted that he was the only one able to come up with dresses that made her look like a Hollywood star.” -he smiled, remembering the countless times his father said that to his mother. –“And he really was the only one who had that ability.”

“Well, all pictures I remember seeing of your mom, when she attended the premieres of her films and other parties, she always looked dazzling.” -Marinette commented. –“ _Adrien’s dad is a magician with the fabrics, that’s for sure._ ” -she thought to herself.

Seeing all of those things, which belonged to his mother and had been worn by her at some point in her life, was making Adrien a bit emotional. Noticing that, Marinette asked him if he wanted to stop for a bit, but he told her that he was alright. The sooner they found some object that would help Adrien to find a way to reconcile his father and his aunt, the better. So, they pressed on and looked inside the other boxes and crates, and all they found were either more dresses or more movie props.

“We’re running out of boxes and crated…” -Tikki commented.

“We sure are.” -Marinette sighed. –“Let’s check what’s inside this one.” -she said, as she opened, only to find that this one was filled with numerous shoe boxes. Opening one, she saw that these were filled with shoes, like one would expect. –“Huh… you don’t suppose a pair of shoes will help to mend fences between your dad and your aunt?

“No, I don’t think that will help.” -Adrien chuckled. Even though he was still hopeful they would find something that would help him, with each box or crate they opened and found nothing he could use, a little bit of such hope disappeared.  

“Hey, what about this crate here?” -Plagg said, as he pointed to the crate in question. –“I don’t know why, but I have a good feeling about this one.” -he said.

Smiling, Adrien grabbed the crate and began to open it. Inside were more clothes from his mother. But on the bottom of it, was a little wooden box. At first, he thought it was an old jewellery case, but then, he remembered that all of his mother’s jewels were in his father’s safe, which was located in his studio. Still, it felt heavy, and he just could not resist opening it. What was inside the box was not one of his mother’s jewels. But they were jewels. Two beautiful metal bracelets, one of gold and another of white gold, beautifully crafted, resting on a satin pillow.   

“What is it?” -Marinette asked him.

“They’re bracelets.” –Adrien answered her

“They’re beautiful.” -Tikki said, as she looked at them.

“They really are. But I thought you had said that your mom’s jewellery was stored somewhere else.” -Marinette said.  

“And it is.” -Adrien said. –“This isn’t my mom’s.” -he declared. –“I don’t remember these bracelets being part of her jewel collection.” -he declared.

“Maybe what’s inside that envelope will explain why?” -Plagg pointed out to a small envelope that was also inside the box.   

“Maybe… Marinette, would you hold this for me?” –Adrien asked her.

“Sure.” -Marinette said, as he handled her the jewellery box, so he could take the envelope.  

“Okay, let’s see… To my dearest sister and my darling husband.” -Adrien read, the envelope wondering what could be inside it, before opening it. –“I know that you two don’t see each other eye to eye most of the times, but I know that deep inside, you do care for one another. Which is why I decided that in this anniversary of mine, I want to give this to you both. They’re friendship bracelets. Some say they are known for being magical, as they give those who wear them the power to face any adversity together, but more importantly, it strengthens the friendship there is between two people. As you can see, each one of them split and you can mix them. Each one of you will use half of each bracelet, and that way, hopefully, your relation will improve. I know I’m a sentimental fool and all, but not counting my darling Adrien, you two are my favourite people in the world, and it pains me to see that you two sometimes don’t agree with each other. So, because it’s my birthday and you both owe me a present, put these bracelets, in the hopes that you will finally stop fighting each other so much.” -he read.  

“Look at the date.” -Marinette pointed out.

“The date… this was signed three months before her birthday.” -Adrien said. –“She was going to give my dad and my aunt this, but she died before her anniversary.”  -he sighed.

“I’m sorry, Adrien.” -Marinette said. She did not know why she said it, in the first place, but it was the only thing that came to her mind then.

“Don’t be, this is it. This is exactly what I was looking for… this is perfect.” -Adrien smiled at her and the kwamis. –“ _Thanks, mom. Even from beyond the grave, you lend me a hand in putting things right._ ” -he thought to himself, as a tear rolled down his face.           


	15. Morning at the Museum

It was custom for the students of Collège Françoise Dupont to take the bus, when going on a fieldtrip. The school had several buses to take every single student in school, if it was necessary. Still, these were mostly used when going on fieldtrips outside of Paris, or when the place they were visiting was not accessible by public transportation. And on that morning, that was neither the case. Having decided they were to meet up at the Louvre, the place where Miss Bustier’s class were to meet was the pyramid. The first one to arrive was Alix, who caught a ride with her father and her brother. Leaving her outside, to wait for her classmates and her teacher, the two of them rushed inside to make one last inspection to the exhibit, before this one was opened to the public. Usually, at that time of morning, it was custom to see people already lining near the museum’s entrance, waiting for its doors to open. And on that day, with the opening of a temporary exhibit, which had captured the attention of both the media and the people, there were even more than usual. The line was already incredibly long, and it would continue to grow as minutes went by. But Alix was not stressed about it. Having been given, along with her friends and teacher, VIP passes for the exhibit, it meant that no matter how many people were on the line, they could just pass ahead of them. The only thing that was bugging her right then, was that she had no one to talk to. Daria was sleeping in her backpack, because he spent most of the night playing a videogame Alix had downloaded, and as a result, he went to sleep really late.

“I think I should have brought my skateboard or my rollerblades.” -Alix sighed. –“At least, I would have something to do, while waiting for everyone else to show up.”

But she would not be alone for long. Her teacher, Miss Bustier arrived shortly after she made that commentary. Like every time they went on a fieldtrip, she would dress to the occasion. If they visited an art museum, she would dress something that reminded people of one of the numerous paintings or sculptures that were on display. If they visited a laboratory, she would put on a lab coat and crazy scientist goggles. It seemed like she had an outfit for every occasion. Sometimes, her students wondered if she was not just a flesh and bone version of Miss Frizzle from The Magic School Bus cartoon series. And on that day, she was wearing a turquoise tank top with the Eye of Horus stamped on it, light brown shorts, brown calf-high boots, and tall white socks. Looking at her, Alix could not help but to think that she looked more like she was heading to an archaeological digging, instead of a fieldtrip with her students.

“Good morning, Alix.” -Miss Bustier smiled at her student. –“I see you we’re the first one to arrive.”

“Good morning, Miss Bustier.” -Alix smiled at her. –“ _Whoa… okay, I don’t know if she knows it, but she looks like she’s dressed up like Lara Croft._ ” -she mused to herself. –“Yes, but the others are probably just a couple of minutes from here.”

And the truth was, the rest of the class were minutes from there. Either by bus, or subway or driven by in a car, they were on their way. Like every day, Adrien was being driven by his bodyguard. But on that day, he would not arrive to his destination in a car. While waiting for the traffic lights to open, he looked out the window and spotted his best friend, Nino, exiting the bus. Not wasting a single second, he told his bodyguard that he was going to walk the rest of the way, along with Nino. Gorilla was about to tell him that he had clear instructions to drive him to the Louvre, but before he could say it, Adrien had already grabbed his backpack and exited the car. Running towards Nino, Adrien called him out.  

“Hey, Nino! Good morning!” -Adrien called him. Hearing him, Nino immediately turned around.

“Good morning, bro!” -Nino exclaimed. –“So what happened? Don’t tell me your limo

“Not really. I just saw you, and decided to walk the rest of the way with you. At least you talk to me, unlike Gorilla, who only opens his mouth to talk, when he’s forced to.”  -Adrien joked. His bodyguard was too professional most of the times, and almost never talked to him, making Adrien sometimes wish that he would have one of those bodyguards a person sees on television or the movies, where they become great friends with the person they are supposed to protect.

After the usual small talk was out of the way, Nino did not resist and asked Adrien what had happened the afternoon before, between him and Marinette, hoping to know that his best friend had finally managed to gather the courage to say what he felt for the girl he was in love with, and ask her to be his girlfriend.

“So?”

“So, what?” -Adrien asked him.

“So, how did it go yesterday?” -Nino asked the blond, wanting to know the details of what had happened, while he and Marinette were exploring the attic. –“Come on, details, Adrien, details!” -he said, practically begging Adrien to spill the beans.  

“It went okay. We found something that’s definitely going to help me mending things between my dad and my aunt.” -Adrien declared.

“And?”

“And what?”

“And did something else happened?” -Nino asked him, curious. Once again, Alya and he, with a little help from Chloe, who may or may have not done it purposely, had given him and Marinette another opportunity to tell each other about their feelings for one another, and he was hoping that Adrien had finally decided to do something about it. “Come on, bro, you’re killing me with the suspense here!” -he exclaimed.  

“Uh, no… nothing else happened.” -Adrien admitted, knowing full well, Nino was about to lecture him.

“Adrien, bro, sometimes I wonder what’s going on in that head of yours.”  -Nino commented. –“You were alone with the girl you love more than anything in this world, and you didn’t, at least, try to tell her what your true feelings for her are?” -he asked him, waving his head in disbelief.

“Well… I did try, but…” -Adrien admitted, before he was rudely interrupted by a certain kwami.

“He wasted his opportunity.” -Plagg said, his voice coming from inside the pocket, he was hiding in. –“He could have told her how he feels about her a couple of dozen times, but…”

“You know I’m really shy, when it comes to Marinette.” -Adrien sighed. –“I don’t know… when I’m around her, without being, you know who, and I try to talk to her about how I feel about her, I just…”

“You freeze…” -Plagg said, interrupting him.

“No, not exactly… I tend to say things that just pop into my head, hoping that she doesn’t think I’m an idiot.” -Adrien told him,

“Just like yesterday.” -Plagg sighed.

“ _If only he knew that Marinette’s practically head over heels for him, as much as he is for her…_ ” -Nino thought to himself. –“There you go again, with those idiot thoughts of yours, bro.” -he sighed. –“I already told you. If you want to have any chance in dating her, you need to tell her the truth.”

“I know, I know… you already told me that more times than I can count.” -Adrien sighed. He had heard Nino saying that more times than he could remember, and like always, he knew that Nino was right about it.

“And that’s why, I’m not going to rack your brain about it anymore… at least, until this day ends.” -Nino told him with a sympathetic voice, which earned him some chuckles from his best friend. –“Either way, there’s one thing I want to know about, and I’m sure Wayzz here also wants to, but he doesn’t’ like people to think he’s getting into other people’s businesses.” -he said, as Wayzz peaked from under Nino’s cap and gave him a disapproving look. –“Oh, come on, little buddy, you know I’m saying the truth.”

“Perhaps… but I don’t like it when you say it that way.” -Wayzz complained about it.

“Never mind that now. What is it that you want to know about?” -Adrien asked them, trying to end the argument.

“Oh, yeah, we were wondering what was it that you and Marinette found out in the attic?” -Nino asked him.        

* * *

Knowing that Alya had gone on patrol the night before, and that when she did that, it was a bit hard for her to get out of bed, Marinette decided to exit home a little earlier and go to her place, so they could walk to the Louvre together. Walking down the street, her mind was still thinking about the hours she and Adrien had spent together in the attic, and how sweet he was to her during those hours they spent together.

“You’re still thinking about Adrien and what happened yesterday, aren’t you?” -Tikki asked Marinette. As always, the scarlet kwami was hiding, so no one would see her. This time, she was hiding inside Marinette’s pochette, where she was finishing eating a cookie Marinette had given her, before leaving home.   

“I am…” -Marinette sighed. –“I can’t help it, Tikki. He was so sweet.” -she sighed once again. –“I should’ve told him about my feelings…”

“Indeed, you should have told him about them” -Tikki said. –“But, what’s done is done, Marinette.” -she stated. –“Maybe next time you’ll have the courage to tell him the truth.” 

“Maybe…” -Marinette sighed. –“But I can already hear Alya telling me that I wasted a wonderful opportunity.” -she told her kwami. –“Plus, she’ll want to know everything that happened yesterday afternoon, I know it. And after she hears it, on top of telling me that I wasted a golden opportunity, she’s going to tell me yet again, that I’m a sucker for not telling Adrien what I feel about him.”

“She’s not going to tell you that! She’s your best-friend.” -Tikki told Marinette. –“She might be a little sad, but she’ll tell you that next time, you’ll be able to do it.” -she smiled at her.

“You really think so?”

“Of course, I do. Remember, you’re Ladybug. You can do anything.” -Tikki sated.

“Yeah… except telling the boy that I love, how much I love him…” -Marinette sighed. After saying those words, she began feeling like there was something wrong with her. She always felt like this; like a deflated balloon, whenever one of her plans to tell Adrien how she felt about him failed.

“You will be able to do it… eventually. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.” -Tikki reminded her, believing that the girl would overcome her fear, and tell the boy she loved the truth.   

At that time of morning, there were already a of people on the streets, so like always, Marinette needed to watch where she was going. But, being so focused on her conversation with Tikki, she did not notice an old man exiting from a grocery store, carrying several bags, who was on her way. When she finally saw him, she tried to swerve to the left, to avoid colliding with him. But it was too late. Colliding, both landed on their back, as the groceries fell all over the ground. Hearing the groceries hitting the ground, Marinette immediately hoped that the old man was alright and that there were no eggs in the grocery bags he was carrying, because they would most likely be ruined.     

“Oh, I’m sorry! Forgive me!” -Marinette exclaimed, as she quickly apologized for going against the old man, while trying to get back up.  

“That’s quite alright, my dear.” –the old man said. His voice immediately sounded familiar. Looking at him, Marinette took less than a second to realize that the person she had went against was a very familiar face. –“Though you need to be more careful, and pay attention to your surroundings.   

“Master Fu?!” -Marinette exclaimed, surprised to see him. Of all the people she could have bump into, she had bumped against the old master.

“In the flesh, my dear Marinette.” -Master Fu smiled at her, as he began to pick up the groceries. –“Let me guess, your mind was on the Moon?” -he joked.

“More or less… let me help you, master.” -Marinette said, as she helped him picking up the groceries. –“Hope there were any eggs in the bags.” -she smiled nervously.

“Luckily, there weren’t.” -Master Fu said, giving her a warm smile. –“I must say it’s nice to see you this early in the morning… as well, as you, Tikki.” -he said. Though he had not seen, he knew Marinette never went anywhere without her kwami.

“Nice to see you too, master.” -Tikki said, as she placed her head outside of the pochette, just enough for the old master to see her.

“It’s really nice to see you, master, but I’ll be honest; you’re the last person I’d expect to see this morning.” -Marinette smiled at him, as she placed a few cans of mushrooms inside one of the grocery bags. That comment made the old master chuckle.

“Well, I’ll be honest as well. I didn’t expect to see you this morning.” -Master Fu said. –“In fact, shouldn’t you be on your way to school? I don’t remember this being the way you take to get to it.” -he commented.  

When he said that, Marinette quickly explained him that she was on her way to pick up Alya, before heading towards the Louvre, where the two of them, along with the rest of the class, were going to visit the new Egyptian exhibit, thanks to the generosity of Alix’s father, who had offered her and the rest of the class VIP passes to visit the exhibit.    

“Oh, I see.” -Master Fu said, as he picked the grocery bags. –“That exhibit must be very interesting. Then, I won’t delay you any further.” -he said. –“But before you go, would you do me a favour, Marinette?”

“Anything, master.” -Marinette answered him, while at the same time hoping that whatever he was going to ask her, would not take too long. If she was to get to Alya’s place and then head with her straight to the Louvre, she would have to hurry.

“I know that you and the others went through quite the ordeal against the Collector, just about a week ago, but you can’t skip training.” -Master Fu reminded her. –“So, when you’re with the rest of the team, please, be sure to remind them of that. I will be waiting for all of you, today, after your fieldtrip is over, in the Garden of the Ancients for a few hours of training.” -he said. He had asked them all for a copy of their extra-curricular activities’ schedules, and knew that on that day, none of them had anything in them, which meant they could train that afternoon.

“I will, master.” -Marinette said. She was not really in the mood for training that day, but if Master Fu was telling her that it was imperative for them to train, then there was nothing else she could do about it. –“I’ll see you later.”

“See you later. And don’t worry, when you arrive, there will be some tea for you all.” -Master Fu smiled at her, as she began to walk down the street.

* * *

Little by little, the whole class started to arrive, and the first thing they talked among themselves was just how much Miss Bustier’s attire reminded them of Lara Croft. Kim, and even Alix thought about asking their teacher if she had chosen her clothes purposely to look like the videogame icon, or if it was just a huge coincidence, she was dressed like her. But the rest of the class managed to convince them not to do it.   

“Oh, come on! If she was a brunette and had her hair a little longer, she would be the spitting image of Lara Croft.” -Kim told Mylene.

“Even I’m with him, on this one.” -Alix admitted. –“Besides the hair, the only thing she needed to absolutely complete the look was a pair of sunglasses and two 9 mm guns.” -she said, as she looked at Miss Bustier, and imagined her as the famous archaeologist.

“Maybe.” -Mylene said. –“ _Though they’re right about it. Even I, who don’t play videogames, think Miss Bustier looks like her._ ” -she admitted to herself. –“Still, you shouldn’t tell Miss Bustier that. She might take it as offensive.”

“Offensive? How come?!” -Kim asked her, not understanding why she would say something like that. –“We would be complimenting her on her looks.” -he said.

“Perhaps, but maybe she doesn’t like to be compared to a videogame character.” -Mylene said.

“Even I wouldn’t do that, and I’m the nerd around here.” -Max said.

After that, they waited for the last students to arrive, which to no one’s surprise was none other than Chloe. The heiress went to bed when the clock stroke two in the morning, after watching the latest season of a series, she had been following for the past couple days. Having fallen asleep, she took her time getting ready, and if it was not for Pollen to tell her to hurry up, she would still be in her bedroom, getting ready. And on that day, she had decided to come looking like a diva, which made her friends ask why she had gone to all the trouble of looking like that, just for a school fieldtrip. She was wearing black skinny jeans, a Channel yellow tube top, white Gucci high-heeled sandals, which matched a white Gucci leather jacket with metal studs on both the shoulders and collar lapel.    

“What?” -Chloe asked her friends, who looked at her, as if she was wearing an armadillo over her head. –“What is it?! Do I have something on my hair?” -she asked them.

“Uh, no, no, your hair looks great, Chloe. Don’t take this as an insult… you look like you’re going to a party and not a school fieldtrip.” -Rose told her, shyly.

“I’m with Rose on this. You really look like you’re going to a party instead.” -Juleka told her.

“What, this? It was the first thing I grabbed from my wardrobe.” -Chloe said, in a casual voice, as she took off her sunglasses and placed them on top of her head, like she always did. –“Okay, maybe it’s a little too flashy, but it’s definitely not the my flashiest outfit.” -she smiled at Rose.

“I think you look fabulous, Chloe.” -Sabrina declared. –“It makes you look a bit like a rebel girl.”

“Thanks, Sabrina. But let’s be fair, I could be wearing rags and I would still look good on them, and I’m naturally cute and pretty, which is a bonus.” -Chloe smiled at Sabrina. –“Plus, you always tell me that, whether I look super fabulous, or just plain fabulous-“ -she chuckled, making Sabrina chuckle as well.    

“ _Chloe woke up feeling a bit like her old self. Still, it’s good to see that even though she’s feeling a bit like her old self, she’s still acting like her new, much nicer self_.” -Marinette thought to herself, while smiling.

And once everyone arrived, Miss Bustier handed a VIP pass, which Alix had brought with her and had given her earlier, to each one of her students, before telling them to follow her. Carrying the VIP passes, it was a matter of seconds before they were the first ones in line, waiting to enter. Marinette waited until Miss Bustier was distracted to tell the others the message Master Fu had told her to deliver them. Alya was the first one whom Marinette told, when she went to her place to make sure she would not arrive late. Hearing her say those words, almost everyone groaned in annoyance. None of them was in the mood for training that day, especially because some of them had already plans, which were now ruined.   

“I guess we don’t have any other options, do we?” -Ivan asked.

“Afraid not, sorry.” -Marinette told him.

“ _Well, there goes my afternoon practicing with Luka._ ” -Juleka thought to herself. She had promised her brother that she would join him with her bass that afternoon for one of their famous practicing duets. But she knew that after the training that Master Fu was going to submit them to, she would be too bushed to even play a single chord.

“And here I thought we were going to have a relaxing afternoon.” –Sabrina sighed. She had told Mika that she had a surprise for him later on. She intended on taking her kwami to a place she was told, served the best sweet bread in Paris. But now, it seemed like she would have to take him there another time. –“ _Sorry, Mika. Guess your surprise we’ll just have to wait a little longer._ ” -she thought t herself.  

“Oh, come on, it’s only going to be an hour.” -Alya said, trying to see the bright side of the situation.

“Yeah, an hour… but that hour is the equivalent to at least five or six hours in the Garden of the Ancients.” -Kim told her. –“And here I thought I would have the whole afternoon to go skating at the Trocadero.” -he sighed.

“Technically, you’ll still have the whole afternoon, minus the hour we’re going to spend training, to do whatever you want. The only problem is that you’ll probably spend the whole afternoon sleeping, after we finish training.” –Adrien joked, trying to lift his spirits.

“You’re not helping, Adrien…” -Kim said deadpanned, as he wiped the sweat on his forehead. –“Plus, am I the only one, or is it starting to get hotter?”  

Minutes went by, as they waited for the museum to open, and two things happened. First, the line kept getting longer and longer. And second, the temperature was starting to rise, making most of the class, as well as the rest of the people that were waiting in line, to regret having brought warmer clothes. What had begun as a cool February morning, had quickly turned into a morning one would get in either June or July. It did not take long for them start taking off the sweaters and the jackets they brought with them that morning and stuffing them inside their back packs.

“Sorry, but I’m going to take off my jacket, or I’m going to start cooking inside it.” -Marinette said, as she removed her jacket.

“This is ridiculous… how can it be this much hot in February?” -Chloe asked out loud, as she too took off her jacket. –“Here, Sabrina, hold this for me for a second, please.”  

“If I knew it was going to be this hot, I would have brought my swimming shorts.” -Kim said, as he took off his sweater.

“You and me.” -Nino agreed. –“That way, we could just jump into the Seine for a quick swim.” -he said.  

“It would be a great idea, but I hardly think that they would allow you to enter the museum with only your swimming trunks, handsome.” -Alya smiled at her boyfriend. –“Plus, I don’t think the Seine is the best place for a quick swim… remember what happened when we went up against that akuma who controlled the garbage in the sewers and turned the whole river into a cesspool? What was his name… oh, yeah, Éboeur!” -she whispered at his ear. –“I don’t know about you, but I still have a hard time looking at the river water and not think about how disgusting it looked, especially since I was thrown into it, and needed to take five showers, just to get rid of the smell.”

“Hey look! They’re about to open!” -Max exclaimed, as he saw one of the security guards opening the entrance. 

As soon as the doors opened, people wasted no time entering, and Miss Bustier’s class were among the first to enter, thanks to their VIP passes. Inside the museum, the air conditioner was on, and everyone thanked for it Feeling the cold air against them, after spending almost half an hour in the Sun, almost everyone in Miss Bustier’s class wanted to prolong that feeling, by not putting back on their sweaters or their jackets. But their teacher insisted they put them on, because the last thing she wanted was for one of them to catch a cold.

“Now, now, everyone. We don’t want to catch a cold, now do we?” -Miss Bustier asked them. –“I know it feels great right now, but you must put your sweaters or your jackets back on. Come on, we don’t want to waste any time.” –she cheerfully said, as she clapped her hands, as a sign for them to hurry.

Once that was dealt with, they took the escalators down to the entrance lobby. This one had been decorated with enormous banners, promoting the temporary exhibit, mirroring the exterior of the Louvre. In all of them, one could read “ _Mysteries of Egypt: The Lost Treasures of Thutmosis III_ ” in bold red and golden letters. One could not say that they had not done a bad job advertising the exhibit. Standing next to the ticket line was Alix’s older brother, Jalil, who, as soon as he saw them, waved at them.

“Good morning, everyone. Good morning, Miss Bustier. Welcome to the Louvre.” -Jalil said, as he approached them. –“For those of you who don’t know me… though I think you all do, I’m Jalil, Alix’s older brother, and I’ll be your tour guide for the exhibit you’re about to visit.” -he smiled.   

“Good morning, Jalil. I know that your sister has probably already told you this, but allow me to repeat it.” -Miss Bustier smiled at Jalil. –“On behalf of the entire class and myself, let me once more thank you and your father for inviting us all to the exhibit’s opening.” -she told him, always smiling.

“It was our pleasure, Miss Bustier.” -Jalil smiled at her, before turning his attention to the rest of the class. –“And, as I was saying, I’ll be your tour guide and it’s my pleasure to have you all here, today. I’m sure Alix has told you numerous stories about me… let me just say that all of them are false.” -he joked, knowing his little sister took great pride in coming up with hilarious tales about him, whenever possible. –“Either way, I hope you are all with an appetite for ancient History, because that’s what’s on the menu this morning.”

“Jalil… no offense, but, stop with the jokes. They aren’t helping.” -Alix joked with a sarcastic voice.

“I don’t see your teacher or your friends complaining about it.” -Jalil shot at her, with a smirk on his face, which she retributed with another smirk. –“Okay, okay, I think we both managed to break the ice here, haven’t we?” -he smiled to all of them.

“No need to thank me, bro.” -Alix said. Later, she would tell the others that she and her brother had come up with that little show, to get everyone more at ease, just before they began the tour.  

“And as I was saying, in our menu we have ancient History… ancient Egyptian History that is.” -Jalil smiled. –“Please, follow me and try not to get lost. What you’re about to see, is going to amaze you all.” -he said.

Following Jalil, they made their way towards the ground floor, heading towards the Egyptian wing, where the exhibit was. It felt strange to them to see the corridors of the Louvre pretty much deserted; most people were still in the lobby buying their tickets or had decided to start their tour. If it was not for the security guards and some of the museum staff, they saw, while walking down the corridors, they would say they had the museum all to themselves. Arriving at the Egyptian wing, they were greeted by the Great Sphinx from Tanis, who was seen by many as the guardian of the wing. And once they entered it, what they saw amazed them.

“You’re among the first people in Paris to see these artefacts. Some of them have been in cold storage for decades, while others were dug out of the sands of the Sahara in the last couple of years.” -Jalil said. –“And with that said, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the newest temporary exhibit.”  

Entering the gallery where most of the exhibit was located, they were baffled by how everything was arranged. The whole place had been redecorated to give the impression they had entered an ancient Egyptian palace or a temple. Usually, the museum’s exhibits and their artefacts were placed in glass cases, but not this time. Instead, they were displayed out in the open, with nothing more than some ropes between them. Still, the security was still pretty heavy around the area where the sarcophagus was. Six security guards stood around it, making sure no one tried anything funny. As for the room where the pharaoh’s mummified army was, it was still closed and it would stay that way for at least another hour, though none of them knew about it.   

“So, as you might have already figured out, this exhibit is mostly about Thutmosis III.” -Jalil said. –“Before we start, does anyone of you know who Thutmosis III was?” -he asked the class, hoping to hear  -“Well, since nobody wants to risk answering, why don’t you help me out here and tell us who we was, Alix?”

“Why do I have to answer it?” -Alix asked him, protesting.

“Because you’ve been hearing everything about him, for the last couple of weeks.” -Jalil told her. –“Come on, you don’t want to look bad in front of your friends or your teacher, do you?” -he teased her slightly.

“Fine, I’ll answer.” -Alix sighed, knowing that he was not going to let that one slip. –“Thutmosis III was the sixth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. According to many, Thutmosis III ruled Egypt for almost 54 years and his reign is usually dated from 24 April 1479 BC to 11 March 1425 BC, from the age of two and until his death at age fifty-six.” -she declared. –“However, during the first 22 years of his reign, he was coregent with his stepmother and aunt, Hatshepsut, who was named the pharaoh. While he was shown first on surviving monuments, both were assigned the usual royal names and insignia and neither is given any obvious seniority over the other. Thutmosis III served as the head of Hatshepsut's armies. During the final two years of his reign, he appointed his son and successor, Amenhotep II, as his junior co-regent. His firstborn son and heir to the throne, Amenemhat, predeceased Thutmosis III.”

Hearing her say that, the rest of the class was amazed by how Alix had memorized all of that information, especially, since she was not the kind of girl who would be described as an egghead or a brain. But more importantly, Alix herself knew that Kim was going to mock her about those 10 seconds, when she practically regurgitated all those facts about the dead pharaoh. She could already imagine him calling every name in the books, from egghead to know-it-all.

“I see you’ve been hearing me and dad.” -Jalil smirked at his little sister, who glared at him.

“ _If Kim or anyone else. mocks me because of this, I swear to you, that I’ll make your life a living Hell, Jalil._ ” -Alix thought to herself, as she kept glaring at him.  

“Like my sister said, Thutmosis III was one of the most important pharaohs in the history of Egypt. Becoming the sole ruling pharaoh of the kingdom after the deaths of Thutmosis II and Hatshepsut, he created the largest empire Egypt had ever seen; he conducted 17 campaigns and he conquered lands from the Niya Kingdom in northern Syria to the Fourth Cataract of the Nile in Nubia.” -Jalil added, while ignoring his sister’s glare. He knew he had pissed her off with that stunt. But he also knew that before the day was over, she would forget about it and call it water under the bridge. –“And now, let’s start our tour. Thutmosis III’s tomb was discovered in the Valley of the kings in 1881…”  

Taking his time, Jalil made sure that they all knew the life story of the pharaoh, while also showing them the numerous objects that had been buried with him, when he departed from this world. Most of them were quite ordinary, like vases and baskets filled with food, clothes, oils and ointments, among others things. But there were things that were far more interesting, at least, to the eyes of a person who did not study archeology, like jewellery, weapons and games. They all listened, as Jalil explained what each object was. Unlike most tour guides, who wish for people to keep their questions, until the end of the tour, Jalil encouraged all of them to ask every question they could have.    

And as this happened, the Egyptian wing began to fill, with people wanting to see everything there was to see. Though almost every artefact exposed was interesting, there was one in particular that was monopolizing most of the attention; the pharaoh’s sarcophagus. Everyone wanted to get a good look at it, including Miss Bustier’s class, though Jalil said that he was saving the sarcophagus for a little later, stating that before they saw it up close, he wanted to show them something else, which he said would be worth the wait. As they passed near the sarcophagus, where a small crowd had gathered around it, just to look at it or snap a picture of it with their cameras or call phones, a strange looking man caught the attention of Chloe, due to its built, but also due to the way he was dressed like.     

“What’s the matter, Chloe?” -Sabrina asked her best-friend, when she saw that she was not paying attention to Alix’s brother.

“It’s that guy over there.” -Chloe answered her. She was talking about a guy that had the physique of a wrestler and was wearing a greying-green trench coat, along with a fishing hat and a pair of sunglasses. There was something wrong about him, but she could not put her finger on it, and say what it was. –“I don’t know why, but he gives me the creeps.”

“You too?” -Nathaniel asked her. He was sketching one of the artefacts on display in his sketchbook. -“I was thinking I was the only one.”

“Why are you saying that?” -Sabrina asked them.  

“I don’t know. He just… I don’t know how to explain it, but there’s something wrong about that guy.” -Chloe answered her.

“The same goes for me.” -Nathaniel said.

“What are you guys talking about?” -Marinette asked them, having listened to them talking.

“We’re talking about that guy over there.” -Sabrina said. –“Chloe and Nathaniel are saying that he gives them the creeps.” -she added, while pointing at the man in question.

“Why is that?” -Marinette asked.

“For one, who would ever a trench coat, along with a hat like that?” -Chloe asked, as she kept staring at the man in question. She did not want to, but her fashion sense was just too strong to let something like that pass, even if it had nothing to do with the fact of her thinking he looked suspicious. –“I mean, he looks ridiculous with them.”

“Chloe.” -Marinette called her out. –“Maybe he’s cold and that’s why he’s wearing it. And, maybe he doesn’t have any other hat to wear” -she pointed out.

“Maybe, but something about him, just doesn’t’ feel right. And I’m not the only one thinking that, Marinette. Nathaniel also thinks he’s creepy and suspicious.” -Chloe told her.

“Creepy or not, that’s no reason for anyone to be judged, Chloe.” -Marinette told her, as she looked at the man in question. He did look a bit creepy and suspicious.

“Children, please.” -Miss Bustier called the four friends. –“Don’t do that. It’s not polite to talk, while someone is explaining something.” -she warned them.

“It’s quite alright. I’m used to it.” -Jalil told her.   

Ignoring Chloe’s protests that there was something fishy about the mysterious trench coat man, the class turned their attention back to Jalil, who continued to tell them about the pharaoh’s life. What none of them could imagine was that the heiress was right about there being something wrong about the huge man in a trench coat and fishing hat. In reality, he was not an ordinary man. He was Brutus, Hawk Moth’s newest lieutenant, in disguise, and he was there to fulfil his part of the plan that he had come up with, with the help of Reptile.   

(Flashback)

_In the “Art of War”, Sun Tzu once wrote “The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.”, which meant that preparation was the key to any victory. And in Hawk Moth’s lair, Brutus and Reptile were going over the plan once more. Their master was still locked in his chamber, no doubt busy creating the Scarlet Akuma butterfly, which Brutus was going to use. And while they waited for him to come out with it, they tried their best, to see if their plan had any kind of gap that could cost them their victory. As a former military, Brutus did not want to leave anything to chance; not if he was to succeed in his attempt to destroy the Miraculous Team and bring their miraculouses to his master, so he would have the pleasure to destroy them, personally._

_For the plan to work, Brutus told Reptile to go inside the Louvre, so he could check the place. But more importantly, to find out the location of certain places inside the museum, and see how one could enter them, without alerting security. The most important of those places was the room where the security guards monitored the whole museum, through the security cameras. They would need to deactivate them all, so no one would suspect a thing, and Reptile was going to be the one to do it._

_“You know how to get inside that room, right?” -Brutus asked the lizard man. –“It’s imperative that we gain full control of it, so we can deactivate the cameras.”_

_“Not a problem. With my powers, I can do that with relative ease. All I need is the access card, and I can get it from one of the security guards.” -Reptile said. –“Once I’m in, I’ll take down every single last one of the guards .” -he declared. Obviously, he did not know how to manually turn them off, but from experience, blowing up or destroying things usually worked, and what was to come next, the last thing the guards would care about were some cameras. –“But, I’ll leave one of them conscious, so he can sound the alarm in one of the adjacent rooms, which will force the security guards to evacuate the whole wing, before checking out what’s going on, thus leaving the sarcophagus unprotected.”_

_“Yes. And once that is done, I’ll be able to approach sarcophagus, open it and place the Akuma butterfly on the pharaoh’s mummy.” -Brutus declared. –“Once he’s awake, I’ll tell him that I have brought him back to life and make him use the powers the Akuma butterfly will give him, to awake them. You said that they closed the room where the army is, right?”_

_“Yes. According to what I heard, it will remain closed, until the museum’s director shows up, to open it, which should be about an hour after the museum opens. They said some of the media were going to cover it and all.” -Reptile said. –“But the rest of the exhibit is open.”_

_“I see… doesn’t matter. Once we wake up the pharaoh, the rest will be easy.”_

_“Yes, but it might be a bit tricky for you to enter, without anyone noticing you, since you don’t have any camouflage abilities.” -Reptile declared. –“I can pass by anyone, without raising a single suspicion. But you, you’re a totally different story. With your built, along with that huge armour of yours, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of the crowd” -he said. –“Are you sure you don’t want me to also take care of the Akuma butterfly as well?”_

_“That’s a negative. According to what you said, the room is located on the opposite wing. It would take you too long to get there.” -Brutus pointed out. -“I do admit it will be hard for me to blend in, given my built. But, luckily, my armour won’t be a problem.” -he declared._

_“How so?” -Reptile asked him. The lizard man wondered how his fellow lieutenant’s armour would not be a problem, given its size and shape._

_Instead of answering the lizard man, Brutus decided to show him what he meant, when he said that. The night before, while taking a break from planning his attack on the Louvre, Brutus decided to find a quiet place to experiment and discover what kind of powers he had. He had been so busy planning the attack, that he had hardly tried his powers. The more obvious ones were superhuman strength, durability and stamina, which he had already tried on, while spying on the Miraculous Team. He knew that he had other powers, but had not tried them on. Upon trying them, he discovered that he his armour could adapt itself to the situation he was in, by making it even buffer or its polar opposite. plus, he could also create numerous weapons, by pulling them out of his skin. These weapons were mostly swords, daggers and spears, but if he focused enough, he could also pull battle axes or hammers. A very useful power, especially if he was in the middle of a fight and in dire need of a weapon. Still, none of his new powers allowed him to change his size or outward appearance, so he could pass by a regular human being._

_Focusing, he made his armour recede in its size and form, until this one was nothing more than what could be called a sleek metallic bodysuit._

_“Impressive.” -Reptile admitted. –“Still, because of your bulk appearance, you still stand out a bit.” -he said._

_“Nothing that some make-up, a hat, a pair of sunglasses and a trench coat won’t help to conceal.” -Brutus admitted. He was not very fond of that idea, but given things, it was the best he could come up with. He still thought about asking Madame Romani to join him and Reptile; her power over illusions could come in handy, but because he saw just how uninterested she seemed, decided not to ask her. From experience, he knew that if someone was forced to do something he or she did not want to do, then the best thing was to just leave them alone. It was true that that idea went against his military philosophy, which always told him that when someone is told to do something, that someone must take orders and not complain about it, but sometimes –“With some luck, no one will suspect a thing. It’s not like I’ll be entering the museum, dressed in a clown suit.” -he said._

(End of Flashback)

Surrounded by all those people, he was just waiting for Reptile to do his part. The plan had everything in it to work. He had seen a couple of people looking at him, but he tried to look calm and cool. He did not want to arise any kind of suspicion. Though he had managed to enter the museum, without even a security guard suspecting a thing, he did not want to make himself noticed ahead of time. And once the alarm would go off, he would be ready.

 _“What’s taking him so long?_ ” -Brutus thought to himself. –“ _Come on, Reptile, hurry up with the alarm._ ”


	16. The Pharaoh Awakes

Time was passing by, and Brutus was beginning to wonder why Reptile was taking so long to sound the alarm. He knew the lizard man could take the form of anyone he wanted to, and he was quite good at it. If he wanted to, he could easily enter the Élysèe Palace at will and kill the President of France, without anyone knowing he was inside. So, entering the security room of the Louvre, take down all of the security guards, with the exception of one, which he would use to sound the alarm, so the Egyptian wing would be evacuated, should be no problem for him at all. Still, seconds were turning into minutes, and Brutus was beginning to fear that his imposing figure, combined with a rather rudimentary disguise, would begin to attract unwanted attention, either from security, or one of the visitors, who might think he was up to something.  

“ _Reptile, what’s taking you so long? Hurry up!_ ” -Brutus thought to himself, as he noticed one of the security guards staring at him. –“ _Could have something happened to him? No, that’s unlikely. If it had, the alarm would have gone out._ ” -he mused about.  

Fearing the worst, he decided to step away from where he was, trying to mingle with the rest of the crowd. He knew that because of his size, it would be hard for him to blend in. Still, if there was one thing, he had learned during all his years in the military was that when in need, a soldier should always be on the move; and that was just what he was going to do. By walking around, and pretend to be interested in the exhibit, he hoped to pass a little bit more unnoticed, especially by the security guards.       

“ _Must continue to move… still, Reptile better not have screwed things up. Master Hawk Moth is counting on me to dispose of the Miraculous Heroes and to bring their miraculouses to him. I must not fail._ ” Brutus thought to himself, as he pretended to be interested in a golden statue of a cat.

In the meantime, while Brutus waited for the alarm to go off, Miss Bustier’s class continued their visit to the exhibit, having Alix’s brother as their tour guide. After admiring a golden sphinx that had been one of the first artefacts to be taken out of Thutmosis III tomb, upon its discovery, Jalil told them to follow him, stating that he had something incredible to show them.

“Do you know what these are?” -Jalil asked the class, as the stopped in front of a display case, where four limestone jars were being shown, each with a different lid. One with the head of a baboon, another with a head of a jackal, another with a human head, and finally, one with the head of a falcon. 

“Canopic jars?” –Max answered.

“That’s right, they are canopic jars, Max.” -Jalil said. –“And do you what they are for?” -he asked him.

“To store vital organs from the mummies!” -Kim exclaimed. He had been paying attention to the tour, but until that point, there had not been a topic that had sparked his curiosity. And that was about to change. 

“Correct. These jars were used to keep the viscera of the mummified bodies. But not all of the organs were placed inside these jars. Just four specific organs were placed in them, and those were the stomach, intestines, lungs, and liver, all of which, it was believed, would be needed in the afterlife.” -Jalil explained.

“And what about the heart? Didn’t they place the heart in one of those jars?” -Nathaniel asked.

“No, Nathaniel, they did not place it in one of the canopic jars. The Egyptians believed the heart to be the seat of the soul, and so, they left it inside the mummified body.” -Jalil answered him. –“These here are just some empty canopic jars that were found inside the tomb. Sometimes, they would place empty canopic jars, as part of several burying rituals, along with the ones where the organs had been stored.”

“Then, where are the real ones?” -Marinette asked him, slightly confused.

“They are near the pharaoh’s sarcophagus, Marinette.” -Jalil answered her. –“You’ll have the opportunity to see them.”

“One question! What about the brain? Did they really stuck a flaming iron hook through the nostrils, scrambled it and pulled it out?” -Kim asked. He had always been curious on how they removed the brain from a mummy.

“Well, sort of. They did use that technique, but that was just part of the process. They would pull out most of the brain that way, but in order to remove the rest of it, they would pour some drugs into the cranial cavity and liquified the rest of it.” -Jalil explained. –“Of course, over the course of centuries, as the mummification process evolved and other rituals were practiced, they stopped doing that and left the brain untouched.” -he said.

“That should have hurt…” -Kim said.

“How can it hurt, if when they did that, the person would already be dead, you, big idiot?!” -Alix shot at him.

“Alix! That’s no way to talk to Kim.” -Miss Bustier reprimanded her. –“What do I keep telling you and your classmates, Alix?” -she asked her.

“One should always put itself on the other person’s shoes, before opening its mouth, Miss Bustier.” -Alix sighed.

“Exactly. Now, apologize to Kim.” -Miss Bustier told her.

“I’m sorry, Kim.” -Alix said, a little annoyed with that whole scene.

“Apologies accepted.” -Kim said.  

“Okay… and now that’s out of the way, follow me please. We’re arriving at a part where most of you girls probably like more about, than the boys… love spells.” –Jalil smiled at them, after which, as he expected, a smile appeared on the faces of every last one of the girls, including Miss Bustier.

“Love spells?” –Mylene asked.

“Indeed. Sometimes, when a person was mummified, among all kinds of objects that were placed in its tomb, were clay plaques, or even papyruses with all sorts of knowledge, one would need in the afterlife. And among them, could very well be one or two with love spells.” –he said. –“Most of the times, these were thought as the ideal thing to help those who could not find true love in life, to find it in the afterlife; or even, to find the soul of one’s true love in the afterlife. And these, right here, were all found in Thutmosis III tomb.”

Pointing out to a series of clay tablets filled with hieroglyphs that were on display on an open display case. Jalil was hoping they would find them thrilling, but the exact opposite happened, and Alix was not afraid to tell her older brother about it.  

“No offense, bro, but I don’t think this is as incredible as you were saying, at least, to us.” -Alix commented, before turning to the others, as well as Miss Bustier. –“Don’t get me wrong, but to me, those are just clay tablets where someone drew a couple of funny pictures.” -she said, which earned her a reprimand from her teacher.

“Alix!” -Miss Bustier reprimanded her again. It was the second time she had to do it that morning.   

“No, not, it’s okay, Miss Bustier. My little sister is partially right. To you, these really look like something a kid would have done, because you don’t know what’s written on them. But to me, who has studied and knows how to read hieroglyphs, they are a testament to an era and a culture that has disappeared, but has not been forgotten.” -Jalil said. –“For example, this one here, you can read “I wish I were your mirror, so that you always looked at me. I wish I were your garment, so that you would always wear me. I wish I were the water that washes your body… It’s quite poetic, if you think about it.” -he said. –“And these four clay tablets are just some of the love spells that were found in the pharaoh’s tomb.”

“But, if there were in his tomb, does that mean the pharaoh never found true love?” -Rose asked, intrigued. If there was one thing she loved. were stories about true love conquering every obstacle, like the hopeless romantic she was.  

“I can’t say for sure. He did marry a couple of times, and one of his wives could have been his one true love.” -Jalil answered Rose. –“But in this case, the reason why these plaques were found in his tomb, is that him being the pharaoh, he could have taken this knowledge to the afterlife, so others could make use of it.” -he said.  

“I see. And were there any love potions in his tomb?” Rose asked. The subject had caught her attention. –“Or, there weren’t any love potions in Ancient Egypt?”

“Well, there were no love potions in Thutmosis III’s tomb. There were other kinds of things, like perfumes, scented oils and even scented candles. Yes, those already existed back then. They aren’t a modern invention, so to speak.” -Jalil chuckled. –“And as far as love potions, these existed back in Ancient Egypt. Although, most people back then did not use them very often. Instead, they would pray to the gods or perform love incantations, because they believed that if love was to happen, then, the gods would have a saying on the matter, especially Hathor, goddess of the skies and stars, as well as music, dance, joy, sexuality, beauty and love.” -he explained.

“She was one busy lady.” -Sabrina commented, chuckling on her own remark.

“She was indeed. In fact, most gods in Egypt were gods of more than just one thing. For example, Anubis is regarded as the god of the death, but he’s not just god of the death. He’s also the god of mummification, embalming, afterlife and graveyards.” -Jalil explained. –“And then, of course, there’s always Bastet, or simply Bast, who’s the goddess of cats, cosmetics, healing, motherhood, pleasure, ointments… and those are just some of the things she was the goddess of.” -he said.

“Was there any god in Egypt that had only one job?” -Adrien asked.

“I’m afraid not. They were experts in multitasking, so to speak.” -Jalil joked. –“Of course, some gods and goddesses were initially known for being the gods of just one thing, and over the course of centuries, they were given responsibilities over other things. Some of them even shared responsibilities.” -he said. –“But going back to the love potions that we were talking about, yes there were some potions, which were prepared with some unusual ingredients. Some of those ingredients that were used were either incredibly rare or incredibly exotic. And they were not love potions per say. They were more like aphrodisiac beverages or concoctions.”

“Like what, for example?” -Nino asked Jalil. He was not very interested in finding love, because he had already found the girl who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, Alya. But that did not mean he could not learn how to make one of those love potions and try it on Alya, just for the fun of it.

“Well, I don’t have a recipe book here with me, but I do remember that there was one that is thought to have been one of the most popular ones almost 4000 years ago.” –Jalil said. –“This one used yogurt, fresh red fish, honey, figs, dates and last, but not least, basil.” -he commented.   

The idea that such a concoction could have been considered a love potion or an aphrodisiac by people all those centuries ago, was a bit too surreal to the young minds of Miss Bustier’s class. Still, when thinking about it, if one of them had a way to travel into the past and brought with them something like Boba Tea, or perhaps even a quiche for the ancient Egyptians to try on, they would probably think that these were strange, to say the least.    

“A red fish smoothie with dry fruits and honey? Cool! Those Egyptian guys must have been pretty desperate to eat something like that.” -Kim joked, which made most of the class burst into collective laugh.

But not everyone felt that the whole thing was worthy of a joke. Chloe herself felt that that was one of the most disgusting things she had ever heard. The idea that someone would even consider to eat a concoction like that, without getting sick was a bit too much for her.

“Ewww… a red fish smoothie?! No, thank you!” -Chloe exclaimed, feeling disgusted just from the thought of it.

“I don’t see why you’re saying that, Chloe.” -Nino told her. –“As far as I recall, you’re a big fan of sushi.” -he joked.  

“But sushi is one thing, and that love recipe or whatever it is, is a totally different one.” -Chloe quickly shot back at him. –“Just thinking about it, it’s making me sick.” -she said.

The whole scene was so funny that almost everyone in the class could not help but to giggle a little bit, at the expense of Chloe. Taking advantage of what was going on, Alya pulled Marinette to the side, to give her a quick word.   

“You know what this reminds me, girl?” -Alya asked Marinette.

“Which part? The part of the love potion or the part with Chloe making faces?” -Marinette asked her.

“The part about the love potion. of course, silly.” -Alya smiled at Marinette. –“So, do you want to know what it reminds me of?” -she asked her, insisting on the matter. 

“What?” -Marinette asked her, while rolling her eyes, knowing where that was going. Once more, Alya was going to do what she did best, as far as she was concerned, play match-maker.

“Of an idea… why don’t you invite Adrien for a soda, at lunch? Or better yet, ask him to sit by you, while you’re having lunch?”-Alya suggested her.

The idea was quite good. After what had happened the day before, Marinette was feeling slightly more confident than usual, and asking Adrien to sit next to her during lunch had a nice ring to it. But, as always, her nerves and her fear of doing something or saying something embarrassing in front of Adrien, were messing with her ideas.

“You think I should?” -Marinette asked Alya, not being sure of what to do. 

“Girl, when are you going to stop asking that question?” -Alya chuckled, as she placed her hand over her friend’s right shoulder. –“Of course, you should.” -she smiled. –“And believe me. From what you told me that happened yesterday, I’m sure that he’ll be thrilled to have you by his side, while having lunch. Besides, I know that your mom made you lunch, so that means that whatever yummy things you brought with you, I’m sure that there will be enough to share with Adrien.”

It was true. Whenever she went on a fieldtrip, Sabine would always prepare something delicious for Marinette, and she made sure that she would pack enough for her to share with someone else, if she wanted to. And on that day, she had prepared for Marinette one of her favourite dishes with an Asiatic twist to it, Sole Meunière with shitake mushrooms and white rice. And for dessert, a slice of Apple pie.

“Okay, I’ll do it. But only if you and Nino accompany us.” -Marinette told her. –“You know that if the two of you are around, the odds of me saying something dumb or stupid to Adrien will be really low.” -she said, reminding her best-friend that when she was alone with Adrien, she tended to stutter or to say something really dumb.

“Sure. Nino and I will be delighted to have lunch with the two of you.” -Alya winked at her, making her giggle.

“Marinette! Alya! Come on, let’s continue with the tour.” -Miss Bustier called them. The two girls were so engaged in their conversation, they did not even notice that the rest of the class was already up ahead.

“Coming, Miss Bustier!” -Alya said, as she and Marinette picked up the pace, and re-joined the group.

As the tour went on, Jalil kept emphasizing the importance that some of the artefacts had, while also amusing the class with some bits of trivia regarding either Egyptology or pharaoh’s Thutmosis III life. Feeling that he needed a little break, he told the class to take a minute to admire a large stone statue of Thutmosis III that was found in the ruins of the ancient city of Thebes. While this happened, Miss Bustier could not help but to compliment Jalil on how incredible he was making that tour not only for her students, but to her as well.  

“Thank you, it’s my job.” -Jalil said, appreciating the compliment from Miss Bustier. He almost never said it, but he loved being praised because of his knowledge in History and historical facts and trivia. –“But to tell you the truth, I’m still learning. There’s much that I don’t know about.”

“Well, regardless of that fact, I do believe that you have the talent and the passion to achieve your goals.” -Miss Bustier told him.

“I just hope that one day I might be half of the scholar my father is. But to do that, I still have a long way to go.” -Jalil admitted. –“Still, I would be lying if I said I couldn’t do it.” -he admitted.  

He had just finished saying that, when he felt someone touching his left shoulder, startling him. Turning around, Jalil saw that the one who had done it was none other than his father.

“Is everything alright, Jalil?”-Mr. Kubdel asked his son.

“Oh, yes, dad.” -Jalil said. –“I was just talking to Alix’s teacher here, while they are look at the statues over there.” -he declared.

“Good, good. Miss Bustier, always a pleasure to see you.” -Mr. Kubdel greeted Miss Bustier. –“I take it that my son is doing a good job, and that my little girl isn’t giving you a hard time.”

“Oh, yes. Jalil is being an incredible tour guide and Alix is being her usual sweet self.” -Miss Bustier declared, always smiling. She had decided to omit the fact that she had been forced to reprimand Alix twice, because she did not want the girl to get into any kind of trouble with her dad.  

“I’m glad to hear that. Miss Bouchard and I were just passing by and… w-where is she?” -Mr. Kubdel asked, not seeing her. –“But she was right here a second ago… oh, there she is.” -he pointed to the woman who had approached Miss Bustier’s class. –“I was saying that were just passing by, and decided to see everything was going alright.”

“Oh, yes, everything is going swimmingly.” -Miss Bustier answered him, as she looked at Elodie and for a single second, mistook her for her dead sister.

“Well, then you’ll be happy to know that in about 20 minutes, things will get even better.” -Mr. Kubdel told her. –“I’m sure my son has told you that he has something special prepared for the whole class, am I right?” -he asked Miss Bustier, who nodded silently. –“Well, it is something really special, I can assure you. It is something that was not announced in the exhibit’s initial advertisement, because we wanted it to be a surprise for the whole city.”

With so much to do, Elodie Bouchard had had hardly any time to even breathe that morning. So far, the exhibit’s opening was a success. Everyone that had entered the Louvre to visit it, seemed impressed and genuinely interested on the exposed artefacts. Though the sarcophagus of Thutmosis III was probably the artefact that people more wanted to see with their own eyes, the remaining artefacts were not being ignored. And in 20 minutes, when the museum’s director arrived to reveal the big surprise that was Thutmosis III’s mummified army, she was sure that people would be thrilled by the reveal. But, even with all that work and all those responsibilities she had, upon seeing her nephew, Adrien, she could not resist in going to him and spend a couple of minutes with him. Right then, he was talking to Nino, when she approached him.    

“Adrien, why didn’t you tell me you were coming to the opening of the exhibit?” -Elodie asked him with a smile on her face. Hearing her voice, Adrien turned around and was surprised to see his aunt

“Huh… well… I didn’t know you were going to be here.” -Adrien answered her truthfully. It was taking him a bit to process the fact that Elodie was there.   

“Oh, foolish me. With all that happened, I completely forgot to tell you that the second reason why I was in Paris was this exhibit, which I helped put together.” -Elodie told him, always smiling. –“So, tell me, are you enjoying the exhibit?”

“I-I am.” -Adrien answered her. –“I mean, we still haven’t seen the sarcophagus, but what we’ve seen so far, I’m liking it.” -he said. Somehow, he was not sure how to answer the question Elodie had asked him, so he tried to answer as honestly as he could.  

The rest of the class just stood still and in silence, looking at the whole scene and feeling like they were in either in a movie or an episode from the Twilight Zone. They knew Adrien had told him that his aunt Elodie was his mother’s twin sister, but they never thought that she would look exactly like her. Excluding Chloe, the rest of the class had only seen photos of Adrien’s mom, or even her films. But they remembered how she looked in them, and were astounded to see that Elodie looked exactly like her; even the way she wore her hair looked the same and her voice was incredibly similar. Even Miss Bustier, to whom Adrien had told about what was going on that was making him feel so low, was shocked upon seeing Elodie, who looked just like her twin sister. Noticing they were being watched, Elodie turned her attention to the class and smiled at them.      

“Oh, I’m sorry, where are my manners? I must have forgotten them somewhere.” -Elodie apologized herself to the whole class. –“Hello, everyone. I’m Elodie Bouchard. I’m Adrien’s aunt, and I must say that I’m pleased to meet you all.” -she kept smiling. –“It’s wonderful to see that Adrien has so many friends.”

“She looks just like Adrien’s mom… and she even sounds just like her.” -Chloe thought to herself.  

“I know that she’s Adrien’s mom twin sister, but… whoa, I feel like I’m looking at a ghost, or something.” -Nino thought to himself, remembering the photo that Adrien had in his room, of his mom. Looking at her, she and her sister were the spitting image of one another. –“This is incredibly surreal.”

“If I didn’t know Adrien’s mom was dead, I would say that it was her.” -Marinette thought to herself.

Feeling that the whole class was a bit shocked by her appearance, Elodie decided that she should take another approach with Adrien’s friends.

“Come on, don’t be shy, I won’t bite.” -Elodie smiled tenderly at the whole class. –“Why don’t you introduce them to me, Adrien?” -she asked her nephew.

“Uh, sure…” -Adrien smiled.

But before he could begin to introduce all his friends, the alarm went off, and as soon as it did, people all around the wing began to wonder why did the alarm went off. With everything that went on in Paris, one could almost choose from a list of events; terrorist attack, bomb threat, akuma attack, a fire, among others.

“What’s going on?!” -Rose asked, as the alarm pierced her ears. –“Why did the alarm go off?”

“I don’t know.” -Juleka answered, as she looked around. –“But whatever the reason was, I’m not seeing it.”

“It’s probably just a false alarm. The museum’s alarm system is incredibly sensitive. But we better exit the wing, so the security guards can do their job and make sure that everything is alright.” -Mr. Kubdel tried assure everyone that there was no reason to panic.   

“Please, everyone, follow me!” -Jalil exclaimed. –“Let’s leave the wing and head back to the lobby.” -he said, following the procedure that had been taught to him for such occasions. Besides remaining calm, the first thing one should do was head to the museum’s lobby.     

“Class, let’s follow Jalil. Form a line, two by two, and don’t forget to hold hands.” -Miss Bustier told the class, who quickly did as they were told. –“Remember, don’t let go of your partner’s hand.”

Quickly the security guards began doing what they had been trained to do in those situations. In situations like those, keeping calm was essential. The last thing needed was for someone to start panicking, and the security guards knew that. They had trained to be able to ensure that in case of emergency, no one would panic and cause others to panic as well. And right then, everyone just wanted to exit the Egyptian wing, while hoping that that alarm was nothing more than a false one, caused by some kind of malfunctioning device or something. Still, among the crowd, there was someone, to whom the alarm was music to his ears.

“ _Finally!_ ” -Brutus thought to himself. –“ _And now, let’s go to the next stage of the plan._ ”

As he saw people beginning to evacuate the Egyptian wing, Brutus knew that he had to find a place to hide from prying eyes. Because of his large size, he knew it would not be easy for him to hide from the security guards. If he needed to fight them, he would, but he wished to preserve his strength for the upcoming battle. But because he had visited a large part of the exhibit, while waiting for Reptile to fulfil his part of the plan, he saw a couple of spots where he would be able to hide in. And so, he improvised a temporary hideout, between two large stone statues. These had been placed in a manner where one of them casted a shadow over the other. Hiding, he waited until he stopped seeing people passing by his hideout. Feeling it was safe, he exited his hideout and made his way to the where the sarcophagus was, while on the lookout for anyone who could still be around. The alarm continued to howl, echoing over the place. Still, that was not a problem for Brutus. As long as the alarm kept howling, he knew that security would be busy, trying to find out what was going on. Still, he also knew that the element of surprise could be lost at any moment, and he had to move fast. As he entered the part of the exhibit where the sarcophagus was, he stopped, after seeing he was not alone.   

“ _There’s still one. I’m not surprised. Even during an emergency, they would always leave one security guard behind, to ensure that no one showed up and damaged the sarcophagus or the mummy inside it._ ” -Brutus thought to himself. –“ _Guess I’ll just have to knock him out._ ”

If it had been Reptile, he would have killed the security guard. But Brutus felt that there was no need to spill any blood right then. Making use of the objects and display cases, he sneaked up behind the security guard and with a well-placed punch on the back of the head, the man dropped on the ground like a ripe melon. Now that he was alone, he wasted no time. Tossing his disguise to the side, he assumed his full-buffed appearance, before opening the sarcophagus. Once he did it, throwing away the lid, he saw the mummified body of Thutmosis III. The mummy appeared incredibly frail, though its head looked remarkably intact. Knowing every second counted, he wasted no time in contacting his master.

“ _Master Hawk Moth, do you hear me?_ ” -Brutus asked, as he tried to talk to Hawk Moth via telepathy.

“ _I hear you._ ” -Hawk Moth’s voice echoed inside Brutus’ mind.

“ _Please, send me the Scarlet Akuma Butterfly._ ” -Brutus declared. –“ _It’s time for the pharaoh to awake from his slumber._ ”

He had just finished that sentence, when the Scarlet Akuma Butterfly appeared in front of him, flapping its wings. Unlike the regular Akuma Butterflies, which were dark, this one was blood-red and it looked more menacing. Allowing it to land on his left hand, Brutus smiled at the sight of it. 

" _You know what you must do. Do not disappoint me, Brutus._ " -Hawk Moth said telepathically, before breaking the psychic link.

“ _You can rest assured, master. I will not fail you._ ” -Brutus thought to himself.

Leaning over the sarcophagus, Brutus allowed the Scarlet Akuma Buttefly to fly from his hand and land on the mummy’s chest. As soon as this happened, the mystical creature was absorbed into the mummy’s chest. A few seconds later the pharaoh’s mummy opened its eyes; these were glowing red. Once this happened, the mummy began to slowly rise into the air. The scene looked like something out of a Houdini magic trick. And then, the mummy opened its mouth and let out a scream worthy of a banshee, that mixed with the alarm noise. Coming to life, the pharaoh’s mummified body began to move. The sound its body made when moving reminded Brutus of potato chips being crunched by a hungry fat kid.   

“W-What is the meaning of this?! W-Where am I?” -Thutmosis III asked, confused by what was going on. After more than 3000 years of slumber, he saw himself once again in the land of the living. Looking at his hands he realized that these looked different from the last time he had seen them. And his skin, it had the colour of dead leaves. His whole body looked and felt different.    

“Pharaoh, you have awakened.” -Brutus declared, catching the attention of the resurrected pharaoh.   

“Awakened?” -Thutmosis III asked, still confused.  

“Yes. You have been brought back into the land of the living.” -Brutus declared. –“I brought you back.”

“And who might you be?” -Thutmosis III asked Brutus.

“I am Montu, god of war, and I have summoned you from the afterlife, so you can fulfil a test that has been granted to you by the gods themselves.” -Brutus answered him.  

“Montu?! You don’t look like Montu!” -Thutmosis III reacted to Brutus’ appearance, which did not match the description of the Egyptian god of war. He had just finished talking when a jolt of energy passed through his body, making him scream in agony.   

“You dare to speak like that to a god?!!!” -Brutus snapped at the resurrected pharaoh, with a thundering voice.  –“You will address me with the proper respect that I’m due. And ff you address to me like you did once more, I will make you feel even more pain than before.” -he said- “Right now, I’m in control of your soul and I can feed it Ammit, the Eater of Hearts, if I should please.”

Brutus was not an expert in Egyptology or Egyptian mythology, but thanks to his military background, he was a quick learner, and after visiting part of the exhibit, he had memorized enough things regarding Egyptian mythology, to use to his advantage.

“F-Forgive me, Montu… I beg your forgiveness.” -Thurmosis III begged Brutus, who smirked, believing that he had the pharaoh eating from the palm of his hand. –“I promise, I will do as you say.”

“Good.” -Brutus said. –“Like I said, I have summoned you to the land of the living, so you can fulfil a test. A test that has been given to you, not only by me, but also by Osiris himself!” -he declared. –“A test that will determine the fate of your soul, as well as the souls of every last of the soldiers in the army that has followed you into the afterlife.”

“Yes, I will do as you please.” -the pharaoh said

“ _He is ripe for the taking, master._ ” -Brutus telepathically warned Hawk Moth, who had been watching. The whole thing through Brutus’ eyes. –“ _Grant him your power, so I may use him to defeat our enemies._ ”    

“Good afternoon, Thutmosis III, or should I call you Ra? I am Hawk Moth. messenger of Osiris and the remaining gods, and I have a proposition for you.” -Hawk Moth said, his voice echoing in the pharaoh’s head, continuing the scam that Brutus had devised to control the pharaoh.  –“The fate of your soul as well as the soul of every member of your army rests in your hands.” -he said. –“A group of demons that go by the name Miraculous Team is running wild and must be dealt with, to ensure the safety of  They are led by the ones called Ladybug and Chat Noir. You must destroy them and capture the objects that give them their powers, so they can be destroyed. And to do that, you must awake your army from its slumber and take them into battle. Destroy the Miraculous Team and bring me their miraculouses, and you will be able to go back safely to the afterlife, fulfilling the mission the gods have selected you for. Furthermore, Brutus… I mean, Mantu, the god of war, will help you.”  

“Yes, Hawk Moth.” -Thutmosis III said, as his mummified body was enveloped by black and purple smoke, thus beginning his akumatization.  


	17. Ra, the Undead

The alarm continued to echo all over the place, as the visitors evacuated the Egyptian wing and headed to the museum’s lobby, where they would wait until security gave them the okay, to go back inside. When the alarm went off, the police, as well as SWAT and Bomb Squad were automatically notified, and would arrive at the scene in a matter of minutes. All the whole, every security guard tried their best to remain calm, and make sure that no one panicked. The last thing they needed was for full-blown panic to spread, making things more difficult to them and to the law enforcement agents that were to arrive shortly to help them. The museum’s doors closed automatically, preventing anyone else from entering, and would only open when the police arrived. It was just one of the numerous security measures the Louvre had, to prevent anyone from entering.  

Slowly, but steadily, the museum’s entrance lobby began to fill, with visitors coming not just from the Egyptian wing, but also from the other wings, which were also being evacuated as a preventive measure. Many people did not know this, but not counting the rooms belonging to the eight curatorial departments, the vaults and the rom where the Mona Lisa was kept, the entrance lobby was the safest place in the museum. A few years earlier, after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in New York City, during renovations, 11-M in Madrid in 2004, and the 7/7 in London in 2005, renovations were made to the lobby, making it bomb proof, to ensure that in case of a possible terrorist attack, this one would be safe, both for those who were inside the museum, as well as those who were outside and sought shelter.

The place looked packed, but not as much as it would be if the museum had not opened little over an hour. Among the people arriving at the lobby right then, were Miss Bustier’s class, accompanied by their teacher, Alix’s dad and brother, as well as Adrien’s aunt. As people entered the lobby, in the speakers one could hear the same message being repeated, over and over in at least seven different languages, “Please, remain calm and head towards the museum’s lobby.”   

“Do you think this might be miraculous related?” -Ivan asked Mylene, as they followed the rest of the class, through the crowd. 

“Let’s hope not.” –Mylene answered him. –“If it is, it won’t be easy for us to disappear momentarily, without coming up with an excuse to Miss Bustier. And quite frankly, I don’t think any excuse we might give her would help.” -she said.   

And the same thought had just crossed Marinette’s mind. If what was going on in there turned out to be an Akuma attack, unleashed by Hawk Moth, it would be pretty hard, if not even impossible for her or any of her friends to save the day.

“ _If it turns out Hawk Moth is behind this, it will be impossible for us to deal with it._ ” -Marinette thought to herself. –“ _We won’t be able to go into battle. Not with Miss Bustier, Alix’s dad and brother, and Adrien’s aunt near us._ ”

Unfortunately, every shred of hope she had that all that was going on did not have anything to do with Hawk Moth, went up into smoke, when the sound of neighing horses was heard. But these did not sound like regular horses. They sounded more like rabid horses, their hoof-steps echoing all over the place, so loud that they even supplanted the noise made by the alarm. And when they showed up, they really did not look like regular horses. Instead, they looked like something one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse would be riding on Judgement Day. With them, an army also showed up, causing panic and people to scream. And it was not just any army. It was the mummified army of Thutmosis III, brought back to life by the akumatized pharaoh. And none of them looked like a mummy. Instead, they looked absolutely normal, if were not for their skin tone, which made them look like they were made of polished ebony, accentuated by their white, irisless eyes. Every last one of the soldiers was wearing a golden and black armour, carrying all sorts of weapons, from spears to bows and arrows. Where a few seconds before, things were relatively calm, now chaos reigned, with people running around like headless chickens, not knowing where to go or what to do.       

“ _And there goes any chance of this not being some kind of plan from Hawk Moth to get our miraculouses…_ ” -Marinette thought in a sarcastic tone to herself. –“ _What are we going to do?_ ” -she thought to herself, looking at her friends faces and figuring they were thinking the same thing as her. They were in a pickle, that was for sure.

* * *

As things in the lobby started to heat up, back in the security room, Reptile was making sure that he left no loose ends behind. Entering in it had been easy, thanks to his ability to become anyone he wanted to. Unfortunately, that had been the easy part of that mission. The security guards that were inside the room were tougher than he had anticipated. Usually, security guards were men and women who hardly knew self-defence and did not even know how to use a gun. But there were others that were former military, and those who were inside the room had been former military for sure, from the way they had fought him. Still, they were not a match for him and his enhanced strength and speed. Of course, that meant it had taken him longer than he expected to deal with them; and the fact that he had to keep one of them conscious, so he could activate the alarm, just to take him down right after, made things even more complicated.

But in the end, Reptile accomplished what he had come to do. With the alarm ringing, he knew Brutus would take care of his part of the plan. Having turned back into his real form, he felt there was no need for him to continue to pass as a security guard. He wasted no time and made sure to trash the room as hard as he could, making use of both his strength as well as his blade. When he finished, the whole place looked like a tornado or some other kind of natural disaster had passed by and wrecked it. On one of the few screens that was still working, he saw images of what was going around in the lobby, and could not help but to smile at what was going on. Brutus had managed to akumatize the dead pharaoh and things were now set for the Miraculous Team, to show up. He would finally have his revenge on the kids, who had thwarted his master’s plans one too many times. Making his way out of the room, to join the action. Looking down at the security guard that even after he had knocked him into the ground, had tried to taser him, before passing out, he could only smirk evilly at him. 

“ _That idiot really thought he could take me…_ ” -Reptile thought to himself. –“Serves him right.” -he said, as he kicked him. –“It’s time to join the party.”

As he was about to exit the room, the doors opened, and several security guards entered, surprising Reptile. But even more surprised were them, who did not expect to see the lizard man, one of Hawk Moth’s lieutenants there. Given the plan was already in motion, Reptile knew that the element of surprise was not necessary anymore, and he could let the security guards inform others of what was going on, Still, something inside him, told him to incapacitate them all as quickly as he could… and that something was none other than pure malice. The security guards, seeing him, quickly ordered him to drop his weapon and place his hands up in the air, as they pointed their taser-guns at him.

But that did not happen. Reptile was not going to let some security guards to stop him. Charging at them, he dodged the taser needles and quickly subdued two of them, with well-placed punches, while targeting the third one’s abdomen. He hit him so hard the man passed out before his back touched the ground.  

The remaining two guards tried to run, but Reptile took them down, by throwing one of the other guards he had knocked down a few seconds shortly. The impact made them go against a wall. Smirking, he went to see if both of them were still conscious, but when looking at them, he saw they were not going to pose no more threat to him.

“By now, you should have already learned that no one, but no one messes with Reptile.” -Reptile smirked. –“And now, let’s go meet this pharaoh, while waiting for those kids to show up.”     

* * *

In the museum’s lobby, things were beginning to get a little complicated, to say the least. Everyone inside it was rounded up like cattle by the mysterious soldiers. Those who tried to run from them were caught with extreme prejudice. By doing it, they figured out that those guys were not kidding around. The security guards tried their best to resist them, and even to overpower them, but it was futile. They too were rounded up, and placed in the centre of the lobby, where six soldiers kept their weapons pointed at them, making an example out of them. Some people tried to talk to the soldiers, and beg them to let them go, but these did not respond back. Looking at them, the young heroes knew two things. First, they had to find who was controlling those guys, and second, they needed to find a way to get out of there and save the day. Needless to say, that neither one of the tasks was going to be easy. Having gathered in a circle, they whispered between them, so no one could hear what they were talking.

“We need to get out of here and stop this.” –Marinette whispered to Alya, who was by her side.

“Yeah, but how are we going to do that?” -Alya asked her. –“In case you haven’t noticed, girl, it’s not going to be easy for us to do that.” -she whispered. –“Not only we have a ton of people around us, but we also have four other people with us, and those creepy guys aren’t going to just let us walk by.”   

“We’re going to need a distraction, a big one.” -Rose said. –“With all these guys around, we’re going to need something big to distract them, so they won’t notice we’re missing.” -she pointed out. For some reason, their eyes were giving her the creeps.

“But what about Miss Bustier and the others? They’re going to notice we’re missing.” -Mylene pointed out. –“We’ll never be able to give them the slip.”

“They’ll just have to come with us. After that, we’ll find a way to get rid of them.” -Adrien told her. He did not like the idea of having to ditch Miss Bustier or his aunt, but right then, they did not have much of a choice. They could not have none of the adults who were with them, to know about their secret.   

“But, where will we go, without one of these creeps getting us, or following us?” -Marinette asked. Her eyes were now locked on one of the guards, as she wondered where the big Kahuna would be, and who would have one of Hawk Moth’s cronies selected to be the next akuma. –“ _These guys could be just copies of the main akuma, or they could be part of an army… and if that’s the case, who is this akuma and what kind of powers does it have?_ ” -she thought to herself. –“ _Usually akumas tend to show themselves, so they can attract our attention. Why is this one not doing that? Unless, of course, it’s really an akuma who can create multiple copies of itself, just like Rose is able to do when she’s Flamingo…_ ”

“I don’t know.” -Nino admitted. He did not know the Louvre well-enough to even suggest a place.  

“But I do. And I might have an idea… but we’re going to need to be a little inventive with how we’re going to get out of here. And we’re going to need the help of our kwamis to do it.” -Alix whispered to her friends, who looked at her, intrigued by what kind of plan she had up her sleeve.

Miss Bustier was trying her best not to look worried or scared. But fear is a powerful emotion and right then, she feared not only for her own safety, but for the safety of her students. It was not the first time that she saw herself in the middle of an Akuma attack, but even not being the first time, nothing prepares a person for whatever one of those creatures could do. The last time she was turned into a stone statue. Still, she tried to remain calm for the sake of her students, knowing that they were probably even more scared than she was, and that the last thing they needed, was for their teacher to start panicking.

“ _Just relax, Caline. Everything is going to be alright. You owe to your students keeping calm and relaxed._ ” -Miss Bustier thought to herself. –“ _The Miraculous Team is going to show up soon and they’re going to save the day, like they always do. Until then, stay calm and try to comfort the students, so they don’t get nervous or scared._ ”

And she was not the only one. Mr. Kubdel feared for the safety of his kids, as his own. As for Elodie Bouchard, she feared for her the safety of her nephew, more than anything else. Ever since Hawk Moth had showed up for the first time, she had always wondered how a person would feel, when caught in one of them. Now, she knew the answer. She felt scared, but not for herself; for Adrien. Whether she liked to admit it, he was her last surviving connection to her twin sister, and she loved him very much. On top of it all, she had so many things she wanted to tell him, and now wondered if she would have the chance to do it.  

Suddenly, a loud noise heard. The spiral stairs that connected the entrance to the lobby collapsed. Luckily, there was no one near them, but the noise made by them hitting the ground, had everyone looking at them, including the soldiers. Everyone wondered how that happened, and little did they know that that was all part of the plan Alix came up with the rest of the Miraculous Team. With everyone distracted, including the soldiers, it was time for part two of her plan: and that meant it was Chloe’s turn.  

“I’m out of here! I’m not staying here with these monsters!” -Chloe screamed, pretending to be panicking with everything that was happening, as she began to run, pushing everyone in her way.

“Chloe, wait!” -Sabrina yelled at her, as she began to run after her. –“Sorry, excuse me, coming through…” -she said, apologizing to everyone she was bumping into. –“Hold on, Chloe, come back!”

“Chloe, wait! Don’t do anything stupid!” -Marinette yelled at her. –“Hurry, follow her!!!” -she exclaimed, as she also followed both Chloe and Sabrina.

In a sudden move, the whole class decided to run after Chloe, surprising everyone that was near them. It was all part of the plan. Taking advantage of the distraction caused by none other than Adrien’s kwami, Plagg, who used his powers to make the stairs collapse as if by magic, they were now heading towards a place the holder of the dragonfly miraculous deemed safe. 

“Children, wait! Come back!” -Miss Bustier begged her whole class, as she began running after them. –“Please, stop!”

Once Miss Bustier began running after her students, it took less than half a second for Jalil, Mr. Kubdel and Elodie to do the same thing, worrying they were going to get themselves hurt, or worst, because of Chloe’s recklessness. What the adults did not know was that they had a plan and part of it was for them to follow them. Alix and knew kwami Daria, knew the Louvre well enough to navigate it, without getting lost: which was why she lend him to Chloe, so he could tell her where she had to go, while running from the lobby. Their destinations were the curating offices underground, which could only be accessed by a handful of elevators, through the use of a special key, which only a handful of people who worked in they had. And as luck would have it, one of such elevators was located near the entrance lobby, and they had not one, but two people with them, who had the key needed to access those offices, Alix’s dad and older brother.    

“Turn left now, Chloe.” -Daria told her. The dragonfly kwami had hid inside one of the pockets of the blonde’s jacket. –“We’re almost there, keep running and screaming just a little longer.” -he told the blonde.

“ _I should have hidden myself in one of the pockets of Chloe’s pants, or perhaps her backpack… I’m starting to get sick with all this movement…_ ” -Pollen thought to herself. She had hidden herself in one of the jacket’s pockets, and unlike Daria, who was used to all that movement, because of Alix’s hobbies, she was not used to it.

“Chloe, wait! Stop!” -Sabrina shouted at her. The redhead was putting everything into her performance, so no one would suspect they were just pretending the whole thing.   

“Girls, you’re going to get yourselves killed! Come back!” -Kim exclaimed, as he and the others sprinted over the hallway, trying to catch to them, with Miss Bustier, Mr. Kubdel, Jalil and Elodie on their ankles.

The whole plan Alix came up with was as brilliant, as it was dangerous. They did not know if the akumatized soldiers would stay distracted by the collapsing stairs and attack them, of if there was something else that could attack them, or even if other people would not try and follow them. Still, they all agreed that if they waited, things could get even more complicated. So, they decided to put it in march, and hope for the best.   

Once she reached elevator, she pressed the elevator’s button to call it. To give her performance a little bit more of realism, she pressed the button continuously, while exclaiming everything that came to her mind. The crazier and scared she looked and sounded like, the better; at least, that was what she thought.  

“Come on, come on, come on! Open up! I want to get out of here!”

“Chloe, wait! That elevator won’t take you outside!” -Alix warned her, as she the others stopped in front of the elevator. Until then, everything was going exactly as she had planned.

“I don’t care! I just want to get away from those things!” -Chloe yelled at Alix, as she kept pressing the button, hoping the doors would open soon.  

Timing was everything, and they all had to wait to for the adults to catch up to them. All the while, they were keeping an eye out for trouble. Deep down, they were all hoping none of the akumatized soldiers, or worst, that one of Hawk Moth’s lieutenants would show up, and come after them. Because if that happened, they would be forced to fight them, and in doing so, they would most likely be forced to reveal their secret to Miss Bustier and the others, and they did not want to do it, because it would endanger them. Just the thought of them knowing they were the Miraculous Team, and making them a target for Hawk Moth, it scared the heroes.    

“Chloe, please, stop it. Alix has told you that elevator is not a way out.” -Adrien told her. Even he was a little surprised by just how convincing she was making all of that.

“I don’t care, Adrien! I just don’t want to be caught near those monsters!” -Chloe exclaimed. –“Right now, the best place I could be was a bunker or something!” -she said, as the doors opened and she entered.  

“The Louvre doesn’t have a bunker, Chloe! But that gives me an idea… everyone, get inside the elevator, hurry!” -Alix told the whole class.

“What?!” -Nathaniel asked her, while pretending not to know what she intended.  

“Get in, now! There’s no time to lose, move, everyone!” -Alix ordered them.

Doing as they were told, they entered the elevator, just as the grown-up arrived.

“Children, what are you doing?!” -Miss Bustier asked her class. One could hear in her voice, just how concerned and scared for the well-being of her students she was.

“No time to explain, Miss Bustier, get in! Dad, give me your key!” -Alix exclaimed, as the last of them, Mylene, entered the elevator.   

“M-My key? -Mr. Kubdel asked his daughter.

“Yes, your access key! Come on, before they come after us!” – Alix exclaimed, while pretending she was scared of whatever those soldiers were, as her father finally handed her the key in question Once he and the rest of the grown-up entered the elevator, she wasted no time in using it, while pushing the elevator’s button. –“Next stop, out of here!” -she exclaimed, as the doors closed.

Making their way down, everyone let out a sigh of relief. The first thing they needed to do, to save the day had been accomplished. Now, came what they believed was hardest part; finding a way to keep Miss Bustier and the other three adults that were with them down there, while they came back up and dealt with whatever Hawk Moth had in store for them.

* * *

While some people in the lobby noticed the scene Chloe did, which allowed her and everyone in her group to get out of there, disappearing down the hallway, most of them were either too distracted by the spiral stairs that collapsed, as if by magic, or were too focused on the akumatized soldiers that had taken the lobby, worrying that they might hurt them. The whole thing felt like they had been pulled inside a hostage situation, like those depicted in so many films and television series. The difference was that the assailants were not exactly assailants, and instead of carrying firearms, they were carrying spears, bows and swords.  

Seconds looked like hours to those trapped in the lobby. In the centre of the lobby, the security guards that   A tall and muscular figure appeared. His skin was black, similar to that of the akumatized soldiers. In his wrists, and ankles, he was wearing golden bands, adorned with numerous precious stones. When it came to his face, this one looked incredibly handsome, as if it had been sculpted by a Renaissance master. On top of his head, he was wearing an Ancient Egyptian wig, adorned with golden tubes, glittery pin and clips. His eyes were glowing red, and in the chin, he was wearing a fake beard. As for his clothes, he was wearing a white and golden shendyt, along with two necklaces, that covered the upper part of his chest. In his left hand he was holding a golden staff with its top shaped like the head of a snake, covered in red and green precious stones. He was Ra, the Undead, pharaoh Thutmosis III akumatized form. Following him was Brutus, still pretending to be the Egyptian god of war. Walking to the centre of the lobby, where the security guards were being held hostage, Ra, seeing everyone worried and nervous, decided to speak a few words, to try and calm people.    

“Good people, I beg you to not frighten yourselves. The reason I am here, is because the gods have chosen me to free this world of a group of foul demons.” -Ra declared. –“I assure you that you have nothing to fear.” -he said, as he turned to Brutus, who was standing behind him. –“Are you sure that this is necessary and that they will come?”

Once he was akumatized, Ra brought his army back to life, and under the supervision of Brutus, whom he believed was Mantu, god of war, he had ordered his army to follow the people towards the lobby and prevent any of them from leaving, while also rounding up anyone who would try to attack them, stating that they were people who had been influenced by the Miraculous Team into hurting others. And they did as they were told. Still, something inside Ra was telling him that there was something wrong about that, though he did not know what.

“Yes. These fiends, they love big crowds, and I can assure you that all these people in the same place will attract them.” -Brutus declared, hoping that his words were enough to fool the akumatized pharaoh. –“As for these men and women here… they are under the influence of those accursed demons. Only when they are defeated, will these poor souls be free from them.”   

“I understand.” -Ra declared. –“My men and I will do everything in our power to destroy them and the trinkets which hold their powers.” -he said, believing they would come out victorious.

It was then that they heard someone entering the lobby. Turning around, Brutus saw that it was Reptile, who had finally arrived. Signalling him, the lizard man quickened his step, and joined him in the centre of the lobby. Some of the people, who were still wondering what was really going on, upon recognizing Reptile from some of the images the media had caught of him, ever since he showed up for the first time, understood that if he was around, then Hawk Moth was behind all of that.

“Took me a little longer to get here, but I’ve arrived.” -Reptile said in a casual voice. –“What are we waiting for? Where are those infernal brats, anyway?! They should have arrived by now.” -he said to Brutus, ignoring the fact that Ra was present.

“Sobek… Oh, great god. Thank you for coming to help me on my quest.” -Ra greeted Reptile, thinking he was the crocodile god.

“Who?” -Reptile asked, confused with what Ra had just said.

“Y-Yes. Sobek, the crocodile god has joined us as well.” -Brutus said, as he looked at Reptile and gave him the look one gives a person, when asking her to go along with it. –“Just go along with it. We need to keep him thinking that we’re both gods.” -he whispered to the lizard man. –“ _At least, until the Miraculous Team arrives… once they arrive, the commotion will be such, that we won’t have to worry about pretending._ ”

* * *

At the same time, three floors beneath the Louvre, in the curating offices, Marinette and the others were all talking amongst themselves, trying to come up with a way to get back up to deal with that akuma attack, without Miss Bustier and the others noticing. All, except for Chloe, who was still being reprimanded by Miss Bustier. Alix was also being reprimanded by her father, because of her behaviour. 

“What you did, was very, very reckless, Chloe. You could have hurt yourself, and you could have hurt your classmates.” -Miss Bustier told her. Even though she was slightly angry at her, Chloe could see in her eyes that she was worried about her. She cared about her and did not want her to get hurt.  

“I know, Miss Bustier, and I’m sorry.” -Chloe declared. –“ _Though if it wasn’t for me or the others, you would still be in danger. So, if the price of getting you to safety is a reprimand, I’m more than willing to pay it._ ” -she thought to herself.  

“Tell me the truth, Alix. What went through your head to do something like that?” -Mr. Kubdel asked her, clearly annoyed. –“You were lucky no one got hurt.” -he said.  

“ _I was just trying to save you… you’re welcome, dad_.” -Alix thought to herself, while listening to his lecture.

While the two girls were reprimanded, Adrien on the other hand was being praised by his aunt, who thought he was very brave in doing what he did.

“It was nothing, aunt Elodie. I was just trying to make sure that Chloe wouldn’t get hurt.” -Adrien told her.

“Maybe, but not everyone has the bravery to do so, Adrien. I’m very proud of you.” -Elodie told him. The longer she looked at him, the more she saw similarities to his mother’s personality. She too hated to see anyone in trouble, and would do anything in her power to help, if she could.

“Thanks, aunt Elodie.” -Adrien smiled. –“But really, I just did it, because I wanted my friend to be safe.”

“So modest, just like your mom.” -Elodie smiled, as she looked at Mr. Kubdel and Jalil, who finished talking to Alix. –“Well, I think I’m going to talk to Mr. Kubdel and his son, and see if they know a way out of here, or at the very least, can come up with an idea to entertain you and your friends, until help arrives.” -she said.

“O-Okay. I’ll go check on my friends too, and see if they need anything.” -Adrien declared.

The truth was, that just like Adrien himself, they needed one thing; a way out of there, without anyone knowing they were gone. Alix’s plan to get them down there, where no one else could enter, was good. The place itself was almost like a labyrinth, and only those who worked there, or had ever been inside, knew how to walk around, without getting lost. Plus, there were lots of places where one could hide. Even if one of the enemies managed to enter it, somehow, they would be able to hide themselves. Unfortunately, it had not solved their biggest problem… the adults that were accompanying them. If they were to save Paris from the latest akuma created by Hawk Moth, they needed to get out of there, without the adults finding out.  

“So, how did it go with your dad?” -Adrien asked Alix, who had joined the rest of the group a couple of seconds before. 

“Lousy… I’m going to be grounded for a week, at the very least.” -Alix sighed. –“And that is if he doesn’t tell my mom about it. If he does, I’ll be grounded until the end of the year.” -she sighed. –“What about you? What did your aunt tell you?”

“Oh, she was just telling me that she was proud of me, for going after Chloe, so she would not get hurt.” –Adrien said. –“By the way, is Miss Bustier still talking to Chloe?” -he asked. He did not see her or the blonde around.  

“Yes. They’re in that office over there.” -Nino pointed out. –“She’s been talking to Chloe for a long time now.” -he said.

“Definitely… I wonder how much longer is Miss Bustier going to keep talking to her?” -Marinette asked, as she looked at the blonde, who was still talking to their teacher. –“I think we got Chloe into some serious problems with this stunt of ours. Maybe we should have asked someone else to freak out?” -she said, feeling a bit remorseful about the blonde.

“Maybe, but you know that Chloe was the only one who, based on the way she used to freak out over almost anything in the past, would be able to pull a stunt like that, without Miss Bustier questioning the whole plan, girl.” -Alya told her best-friend. She herself became impressed by just how natural Chloe sounded like, when pretending to freak out like that.

“Still, I think Miss Bustier is giving her a real hard time.” -Marinette sighed. She hated to see anyone she cared about getting into trouble, even if that someone had been her personal bully, until six months ago. –“I can only imagine what she’s telling her.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not like Miss Bustier is yelling at her. If she did it, we would be hearing it.” -Sabrina smiled at Marinette. –“You know that she doesn’t believe yelling at people will do any good. I’m sure she’s just telling Chloe that what she did was wrong and that she shouldn’t do it again, because it might get her or someone else into trouble.” -she said, believing that was what was happening right then.   

“Sabrina’s right, you know? Miss Bustier doesn’t yell at anyone. And she won’t do it with Chloe either.” -Rose smiled.

Hearing Rose say that made Marinette feel a little better. Even with everything that was going on, the blue-haired girl was more worried about the blonde’s well-being, than anything else. Still, it was then that her mind drifted back to the problem they had in hands. They needed to power-up and save the day. But that would be easier said than done.

“You’re right, Rose. Still, there’s one thing that’s bothering me, and I’m sure it’s also bothering you guys… how are we going to get back up there? Because I don’t have the slightest idea of how we’re going to do it.” -Marinette admitted.

“If only there was a way for us to keep them down here for a bit.” -Kim sighed. –“I can only imagine what Moth breath has cooked up for us this time… still, the only way for us to go up there, unnoticed, would be if there was a way to place a wall between us and them.”

“Or maybe that’s exactly what we must do… Kim, you’re a genius.” -Adrien exclaimed, surprising Kim a little with that statement, who was not expecting it. –“Think about it; that way they would be forced to stay down here, and we could go up there, and teach Hawk Moth a lesson.” he smiled, at the others –“Plagg… I know that you already used your powers once, but do you think you could…”

“Come up with a small distraction that would separate you all from your teacher, Alix’s dad and brother, and your aunt?” -Plagg asked him, completing his sentence. –“I think I can do that… a little bit of my ruining powers, I can create a controlled falling, that will keep them in here, safe, where none of those creatures will get them.” -he stated. –“But you’ve got to take them to the other side of the room… and I’m expecting triple ration of Camembert after this little stunt.”

“Deal.” -Plagg said.

“But, how are we going to get them away from us?” -Juleka asked.

“Juleka’s right. We’re going to need a reason to get them away from us.” -Max declared, while pondering about the matter.

“Leave that to me.” -Alix smirked.

Once more, Alix quickly came up with a plan to help them out. One could say that when it came to coming up with crazy plans, on that day, she was on fire. Since her dad and her older brother, were already talking to Adrien’s aunt, they only had to make Miss Bustier join them, and then Plagg would do the rest. They waited for her to finish talking to Chloe, to put things into motion. Once they exited the office, Alix went to her teacher and told her that the whole class was beginning to feel a little stressed and an easy with everything that was going on, and asked her if perhaps she could not talk to her dad and the others, about coming up with an activity to get their minds off it. Miss Bustier, feeling that would be a great idea. And so, she quickly joined them, to discuss what they could do to keep the teens entertained, believing the Miraculous Team would soon show up and save the day, making it safe to go back up.  

“That’s your cue, Plagg, go.” -Adrien whispered to his kwami.

“Hope this works.” -Chloe thought to herself. When she arrived, Sabrina quickly told her the plan, and now she was praying that it would work, and that no one would come out hurt in the process.

Making his way to the ceiling, Plagg looked at it, and tried to see which would be the best place to cause a controlled falling, which was big enough to cause a cave-in, but not so big that would cause the whole place to collapse on them. Once he found the perfect place to use his powers, he looked down to make sure Miss Bustier and the others were far enough for the debris not to hit them, and used his powers. Just as it happened with the spiral stairs in the lobby, a section of the ceiling came down in an almost spectacular way, startling everyone, and creating a barrier between the heroes and the four individuals that were responsible for their safety. There was no way for both groups to find out if the other was alright, and for a couple of seconds, Marinette and her friends wondered if Miss Bustier and the others were alright. It was only when Plagg, who had checked side where their teacher and the others were, showed up and told them that everything was fine, that they allowed themselves to stop worrying.   

“Alright, done.” -Plagg said. –“And don’t worry, they’re all fine. Not a scratch, whatsoever.” -he declared.

“Miss Bustier! Dad, Jalil, are you alright?!” -Alix yelled at the wall of debris. –“If you are, at least shot out, please!” -she asked, trying to make it sound like they did not know they were alright.

“Aunt Elodie?! Are you okay?!” -Adrien also shouted, hoping to hear a response from her.

 It did not take long for them to answer back, telling them they were okay, while also asking them the same thing. After a couple of responses, where they told them they were alright and did not even had a scratch on them, the young heroes signalled each other that it was time for them to go.

“Don’t worry, we’ll go get help.” -Marinette said.

“Yeah, we’ll find someone to help and we’ll come back right away.” -Alix said.

“Just stay calm, and everything will be alright. We’ll be back with someone to get you out of there.” -Alya said.

“No, stay! You can’t go back up!” –Mr. Kubdel shouted at his younger daughter.

“Dad’s right, Alix! It’s not safe!” -Jalil shouted at his sister.

“Children, stay where you are!” -Miss Bustier warned them.

“Don’t worry, dad. We’re not going back to the lobby. We’re going to check out the upper floor. I’m sure we can’t be the only ones down here.” -Alix said. What she said was true, they could not be the only ones in the curating offices, though she was pretty confident that on that part of them, they were the only ones, otherwise, they would have seen someone else.   

“Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine, Miss Bustier. You just wait there, until we come back.” -Marinette told their teacher.

“We’ll be back before you know it, aunt Elodie. Just have a little patience.” -Adrien warned his aunt.

Adrien and the others pretended to leave, by beating their feet on the ground as loud as they could, so the adults would believe they were gone, before making their way to the office where Chloe and Miss Bustier had been talking. While doing so, they heard them begging them to stay put. But they could not do such a thing. Paris needed them, and now, the only way for them to get them out of there, was to use the Ampulla Amulet, and before any of them could even think of using its power, they would have to defeat the akuma. Now alone, they felt it was safe for the kwamis to come out.

“About time… I was starting to think I was going to be in that backpack the rest of the day.” -Imp said.

“Indeed. It’s good to be out in the open.” -Flint said, as he stretched his arms.

“Speak for yourselves. I’ve been out in the open for at least 20 minutes now.” -Plagg joked, which earned him a displeasing look from just about every other kwami. –“What?! It’s not like I’m lying here.”

“Never mind him. So, what are we waiting for? You guys have got an akuma to deal with.” -Mika said. –“Say the magic words and let’s go!”

“Not so fast.” -Max said. –“There’s still the matter about the cameras in the rooms, hallways and elevator. You can’t be seen by them, but we can, and if we transform, while they’re still functioning, someone might find out about our secret.”

“Max’s right. We can’t do this; not while the cameras are still operational.” -Ivan stated.

“That’s why we need your help. You’ll have to take down the cameras first.” -Sabrina declared.  

“She’s right. We need those cameras taken down, before we make our move.” -Marinette told Tikki. –“Otherwise, we won’t be able to get out of here.” -she said. She was worried that if anyone saw the recordings, they would put two and two together, and find out about their secret identities. –“Think you and the rest of the kwamis can help us with that, Tikki?”

“We’ll take care of that, don’t worry.” -Tikki said, as she signalled the rest of the kwamis. –“When we’re finished, there won’t be any cameras to record you transforming or getting out from where you came from, trust me.”


	18. The Will of the Gods

Led by Tikki, the kwamis spread out, looking for any cameras they could find. When they first woke up in this new century, they quickly saw that things had changed radically. Things that once looked and sounded impossible of ever happening or becoming a reality had become a reality, blending into the very fabric of society. And one of those things was the fact that now there were eyes everywhere. Not in the very sense of the word, but still, things were not far from the truth. In the modern world, one would find cameras everywhere, cameras which made it almost impossible for a person to pass by unnoticed. And although the kwamis, thanks to their magic were impossible to get on film, and for all intents and purposes were invisible to any camera out there, the same could not be said for their holders; they could be seen. Which was why one of the first things that Master Fu decided to teach the little magical creatures, regarding that new world they had awakened in, was to recognize cameras, and if needed, disable them, in case their holders needed them. Because they could not be seen through cameras and other electronic devices, the kwamis could just walk up to them and turn them off, or even smash them into pieces, though they did not like to do the later, because they felt like they were doing something bad.

Master Fu tutored them as best as he could in the matter, and as time went by, their holders, and even themselves, through the Internet, found numerous other ways to deal with it. Until then, cameras had not posed a threat to them or their holders, when they needed to transform. But now, they posed such threat, and they were going to see if their training had paid off. Searching everywhere, each of the kwamis double-checked and even triple-checked all the places where a camera could be hidden, because the problem were not the cameras that were in plain sight: it was the ones that could not be seen that were the problem. Silently, they went through the walls, ceiling, cabinets and other places that could be hiding a camera. Nearly five minutes went by, when all the kwamis, led by Tikki returned. The scarlet kwami was smiling, as she stopped in front of Marinette’s face.

“Done. Every last camera has been dealt with.” -Tikki told the team, feeling prideful of their accomplishment.  

“Are you sure?” -Marinette asked her. She was not doubting her kwami’s word on it, but she needed to be absolutely certain that that was the case.

“Positive.” -Tikki smiled. –“We’ve searched every nook and cranny for cameras and we found and disabled all of them. Including those in the elevator. It’s safe.” -she declared.

“It wasn’t easy, but now there isn’t a single one of these things still working around here.” -Muria declared, as he held a piece of fibre optics cable from one of the cameras he had trashed. Unlike most of the kwamis, the bear kwami did not oppose trashing things, if in the end, they would be turned back to their original state, with the use of the Ampulla Amulet.   

“Okay, then let’s go up.” -Kim said, with an enthusiastic voice. He felt ready to go into battle.

“Wait, what’s the plan?” -Alya asked Marinette and Adrien. Being the team’s leaders, they had not shared what their plan of attack would be, and Alya was not the kind of person who liked to go in blind, without a strategy. 

“The plan? The plan is always the same. We go in, we kick some butt, defeat the akuma, beat the snot out of Hawk Moth’s minions, and save the day.” -Kim declared, with the same enthusiasm in his voice.

“And what about the hostages? Have you forgotten that this time we have hostages?” -Ivan asked him. –“We can’t just go into battle, without having that into account.” -he said.

“Ivan’s right. This is the first time we have hostages to the mix… I mean, not really the first, since we did have that time with Manon and all, but you get what I mean.” -Marinette declared. –“We need to find a way to protect, and if possible, evacuate the hostages, before we take on the akuma.”

“The trouble is we don’t know who the akuma is yet. And without knowing who or what the akuma really is, it’s futile to come up with a well-defined plan… at least, until we have a little bit more of information.” -Adrien warned her. –“May I suggest a different approach?” -he asked.

* * *

In the Louvre’s lobby, the resurrected soldiers kept patrolling it, while paying attention to the hostages. After the mysterious collapse of the spiral stairs, nothing else happened, as everyone waited for the Miraculous Team to arrive. Still, like a quarter which has two different sides to it, those in the lobby also waited for young heroes to arrive for two different reasons. While the hostages waited to be saved, Ra, the akumatized pharaoh Thutmosis III, was waiting for them to arrive to battle and kill them, having been led to believe they were demons that were plaguing Paris, placing people under their influence, and that he had been chosen by the gods to rid the world of them.

At the same time, Brutus and Reptile, both posing as ancient Egyptian Gods, had veered to a slightly hidden corner of the lobby, to inform their master, via telepathy, on what was going on. They had successfully tricked the pharaoh, and now were waiting for the heroes to show up.   

“Good job so far.” –Hawk Moth communicated with both Reptile and Brutus via telepathy.

“Thank you, master.” -Reptile thanked Hawk Moth.

“So far things are going exactly as planned.” -Brutus informed Hawk Moth. –“But our target has yet to show up.” -he admitted. Like Reptile, Brutus was also eager to go into battle, though he did not show it.

“They will come. It’s only a matter of minutes. They are not the kind to be too late.” -Hawk Moth declared. –“From what I’m seeing, the police has arrived on the scene and is trying to get into the museum.” -he said. Thanks to the swimming pool that existed in his hideout, combined with his powers, he could use it to see everything that was happening outside of the Louvre.

“Do you wish us to go and confront them, master?” -Reptile asked Hawk Moth. He was eager to start fighting, and could hardly wait to sink his blade into someone or something.

“No, Reptile, we’ll stick to the plan!” -Brutus exclaimed.

“But if we start attacking the police, maybe those brats will get here faster.” -Reptile suggested.

“We stick to the plan… I know you’re anxious to fight the Miraculous Team, but we must stick to the plan, and remember that you must keep pretending that you are the crocodile god, so we can keep Ra under our control.” -Brutus insisted on the matter. –“As long as he believes that he has been brought back to life by the gods to do their bidding, we’ll be able to keep him on a leash.” -he declared.   

“Listen to what Brutus is saying, Reptile.” -Hawk Moth ordered the lizard man. –“You will have your chance to deal with those infernal brats.”  

“Yes, master.” -Reptile answered. He did not like the idea of just standing still and wait for the Miraculous Team to show up. In that point he was the polar opposite of Brutus. He would begin to cause chaos and mayhem, just for the fun of it, while waiting for the heroes to show up.  

“Don’t leave Ra alone. He might start posing questions that he shouldn’t.” -Hawk Moth ordered them. –“Remember, don’t fail me, or the consequences while be dire.” -he declared, as he ended the telepathic conversation.

They had just finished communicating with their master, when Ra showed up, asking them if there was something wrong.

“We were in conference with the mighty Osiris.” -Brutus told Ra. –“He was informing us that we must be vigilant. Like good soldiers, we must prepare for the worst and expect the best to happen.” -he said. –“Be sure to tell your men to stay sharp and ready themselves for battle. Those accursed demons might show up at any moment.”

“Yes, oh great Mantu. I will order them that, right away.”

“Prepare yourself as well. The gods have selected you, of all other pharaohs, because we considered you to be the noblest and bravest of all pharaohs. It is the will of the gods that you succeed.” -Brutus stated. –“Do not make us think that we have chosen wrong.” 

“Yes, Mantu… of course not, oh, mighty Mantu. You have chosen the right man for the task. My men and I will vanquish those demons and rid the Earth from them, forever.” -Ra declared, after which he looked at Reptile and kept staring at him, making the lizard man slightly uncomfortable.

“What is it?” -Reptile asked Ra with a rather irked voice, after this one stared him for more than five seconds.

“N-Nothing, oh great Sobek, sir. It’s just that… now that I look at you more closely, you look quite different from the way you are represented.” -Ra confessed.

“And is there a problem with that?” -Reptile asked him with an almighty voice. He figured that a god would talk that way.

“Oh, no, great Sobek, of course not. I did not wish to offend you.” -Ra apologized himself, before retiring himself, leaving both Reptile and Brutus alone. 

After he left, there was a brief moment of silence, before Reptile turned to Brutus.

“Do you think he suspects anything?” -Reptile asked Brutus. It was not what he had said to him, but the way he said it, that was causing the lizard man to think the akumatized pharaoh suspected something was wrong.   

“I don’t know. But if everything goes according to my plan, by the time he begins to ask questions, the Miraculous Team will be dead, and he will have outlived his usefulness, so we won’t need to worry about it.” -Brutus declared. –“Keep your eyes peeled and be ready. Like I told our pharaoh, the heroes should be arriving, at any moment.” -he said.   

* * *

What Brutus did not know was that the Miraculous Team was already inside the Louvre. In fact, the whole team had been inside the building, even before all the commotion began. They had not been able to show themselves, without exposing their true identities. Now, inside the elevator, that would take them back to the ground floor, where the action was taking place, the young heroes felt a bit tense. They were going in blind, without exactly knowing what awaited them in the lobby.

“Come on, everyone, calm down. Everything’s going to be fine.” -Ladybug said. Feeling that they all needed to relax a little bit, she decided that a little chat was the perfect way for them to do that.

“She’s right, you know? This isn’t our first rodeo or anything.” -Rena Rouge declared. She had figured out what her best-friend was trying to do, and so, she decided to lend her a hand.

“Yeah, but usually, we don’t have to sneak in, like common criminals.” -Queen Bee sighed. –“Plus, we don’t exactly know what awaits us when we get there.” -she said

“We’re not sneaking in like common criminals, Chloe. We’re sneaking in like secret agents.” -Flamingo smiled, trying to cheer up the bee heroine a little, as well as the rest of the team. –“And as for what we’re going to face… it’s like they say: we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” -she said, always with a smile on her face. When she transformed, her kwami’s natural sunny-disposition amplified her own sunny-disposition.

“I just hope it’s not a very powerful akuma and that we can take care of it in a jiffy. I don’t like leaving my aunt, or Miss Bustier wondering if we’re alright, or not.” -Chat Noir said.

“With some luck, we’ll take care of everything in two shakes of a dog’s tail, bro.” -Carapace told Chat, who answered him back with a smirk.     

Once the doors slid open, they saw that there was no one on the corridor. And if there was, the only thing they would see was an empty elevator. Using Forest Doe’s power of invisibility, they had all rendered themselves invisible. As long as they were touching her, they would remain invisible.    

“Move silently and keep quiet, everyone.” -Ladybug told them, as they exited the elevator, while always on the lookout for trouble.  

“No need to tell us that, Marinette!” -Queen Bee exclaimed. She did not want to admit it, but like everyone else, she was a bit scared.

“Chloe, shut up! They might hear us!” -Grizzly Bear told her.

“Don’t tell me to shut up, Ivan! You’re the one with that booming voice!” -Queen Bee shot at him.

“Would you shut up, already?! We don’t need anyone to hear us arriving.” -Panda Rouge told them.

“Calm down, everyone. Just relax and remember, we’ve got this. Remember, this isn’t our first battle.” -Ladybug reminded them, as they walked slowly down the hallway. –“We’re all nervous here… but we’ve to keep calm. And furthermore, we’ve got each other’s backs. Now, let’s move slowly, and from this point on, nobody speaks or even whispers, until we get to the lobby, okay? They can’t see us, but they can hear us.”

They all answered her, by remaining in silence and moving as slowly as possible. On two occasions, they were forced to stop, because of a soldier that was walking up and down the corridor. As they approached the lobby, they began hearing the voices of the hostages. These sounded scared and frightened; and one could also hear some of the people crying. Just from hearing them, the heroes knew they had to hurry and deal with that situation. Still, once they entered the lobby, they saw that things had changed a little since they had exited it. The number of soldiers had doubled, if not tripled, and the hostages were arranged differently. They were now grouped into eight separate groups, while the security officers were still in the middle of the lobby. They also noticed that there were more security guards than when they left, and assumed they had been captured by the soldiers when they arrived at the lobby to check what was going on. Looking up, they saw Ra walking next to a pair of soldiers and could not help but to be amazed by both of his appearance and built, but also by how tall and buffed he looked, when compared to the soldiers.    

“That guy over there looks like the akuma, milady.” -Chat Noir whispered to Ladybug, as he pointed at Ra.

“He looks like an Egyptian pharaoh, or something similar.” -Louve Grise whispered, as she looked at Ra, studying the way he looked and how he moved.

“ _I wonder what kind of powers will that guy have?_ ” -Corbeau Noire asked herself. –“ _Though, I bet that whatever powers he might have, will have something to do with these soldiers. Plus, from the way he looks, he must have an incredible strength… we must proceed with caution._ ” -she thought, as she tightened the grip on the handle of her mirror.

“There’s Reptile… I bet everything I have that he was the one who chose today’s victim.” -Antelope whispered. He, Grizzly Bear and Arachnid had what most people call, a rivalry with the lizard man, and he had made one of his missions to kill them, by skinning them alive with his blade.  

“But, wait, who’s that guy he’s talking to?” -Arachnid asked, as he looked at Brutus.

“I don’t know… another akuma, maybe?” -Forest Doe hypothesized. It was taking most of her strength just to keep herself and the others invisible, but she was not one to complain. She knew they needed to remain invisible, if they were to have any chances of gaining the upper hand in the battle that would start in a matter of minutes, if not seconds, she would need to focus all her energies in what she was doing.  

“I don’t think so. Hawk Moth usually only akumatizes one person at a time.” -Rena Rouge pointed out. –“Could be a new lieutenant.” -she said. –“After all, Reptile and Madame Romani have failed more times than I can remember… maybe he decided he needed someone new to try and kill and us.”

“A new lieutenant?” -Dragonfly said, as she stared at Brutus. –“Well, if he is a new lieutenant, he doesn’t look very smart, to me. If you ask me, from the way he looks, he’s most likely all brawn and no brain at all… and if so, he won’t be much of a challenge.” -she stated, not knowing just how wrong she was.

“Whether he’s another akuma or a new lieutenant, it doesn’t matter. We’ll deal with him, the same way we deal with everything Hawk Moth throws at us.” -Carapace said. And unlike Dragonfly, he was not so sure if Brutus was just a big brute without a speck of intelligence.

While the others talked about what they were seeing, Ladybug observed everything that was going on, assessing the situation. She knew that even though they were all there, they were at disadvantage. She did not know just how strong the akuma was or just how strong the soldiers that were with him were. But she did know that they had a lobby filled with hostages, who they needed to get out of there, and into safety, before tackling the akuma. They could not risk any kind of casualties; not if they could avoid them. In her mind, that was the tensest situation they had ever been, and that did not make things easy. During their training, they had never trained for that kind of hostage situations, because usually akumas were prone to just go after the person who was the reason, they had been akumatized in the first place, and not gather huge groups of people and use them as bait. Making a mental note, she told herself that if they managed to get out of that situation, they would start training for that kind of situations, at least once a week.   

“So, what do we do? Should we stick to my plan, milady?” -Chat Noir asked her, breaking her train of thought.

“Yes. We stick to your plan and make a grand entrance, once everything’s in place.” -Ladybug declared, as she turned to Carapace. –“Nino, once we’re in the middle of the lobby, make it happen.” -she smiled.

The plan Chat had suggested and that they were following was quite simple. As soon as Carapace raised some energy shields, in order to protect the hostages, they would show themselves. Taking advantage of the element of surprise, they would attack the akuma and his army, while also dealing with Reptile and the guy he was talking to. And doing so, if possible, they would drag the fight outside into the open, where they knew there would be less chances of causing damages, as well as victims.   

Moving towards the centre of the lobby, where the security guards were being held, as silently as possible, Carapace waited for the right moment to deploy his energy shields. They had one chance, and they could not waste it. Once his shields showed up, it would take less than three seconds for the bad guys to understand they had arrived, and the element of surprise would be gone. Focusing, he waited until he felt the moment was right. And once he felt it, he wasted no expenses in what he was supposed to do. In the blink of an eye, he placed energy shields protecting the multiple groups of hostages in the lobby, as well as one around him and the team, just before they revealed themselves. The reaction from the hostages, who quickly recognized the energy shields, was the one they had come to expect, every time they showed up to save the day. And when Forest Doe turned off her invisibility and everyone saw them, they were greeted with cheers and applauses from the captive hostages.  

“It’s the Miraculous Team!!!”

“Hooray! We’re saved!”

“You guys are so screwed now!”

Hearing those cheers the heroes could not help but to wave and thank people for that warm welcome. It was that kind of things that boosted their confidence and gave them the strength necessary to fulfil their duty as protectors of Paris. But unlike the hostages who were thrilled and happy to see them, the villains were not thrilled at all; at least, not in the same way as the hostages were.

“ _Those kids are about to be turned into minced meat…_ ” -Reptile thought to himself, as he took out his blade, and readied himself for battle.

“ _So, they finally arrived… they have certainly taken their time._ ” -Brutus thought to himself.  

Once he saw them, Ra became puzzled. They were not like he had imagined them. True, neither Brutus nor Reptile, who he thought were gods, had described how they looked like, but in his mind, they did not look like performers, and much less teenagers. But before he could say anything regarding that subject, Brutus broke Ra’s train of thought, by once again alerting him of what he needed to do.   

“They have arrived! You know what to do.” -Brutus exclaimed to Ra. –“Those demons have also taken control of the minds and souls of these innocents that we have recruited to help us attract them. They must be stopped, right away!” -he warned him.        

After Brutus said those words, once again stating just how important his mission was, Ra knew that there was no time to lose. Still, as the noble fighting pharaoh he had been, when he reigned supreme, he felt that he owed the Miraculous Team to introduce himself, while stating what was going to happen. 

“Greetings, demons! I am Thutmosis III, pharaoh of Egypt… but you can call me, by my new name, Ra! I’ve been brought back to life, along with my army, by the great god Osiris, to end your reign of terror upon this land and save the souls of every last person you have enslaved, under your control!” -Ra exclaimed, as he looked down at the Miraculous Team, inside the energy bubble Carapace had placed around them. 

Upon hearing Ra say that, all the heroes were caught off guard with that reveal. Never, not even in their wildest dreams, would they ever think that one day they would battle an akuma that was in fact, an akumatized mummy.

“Thutmosis III?!” -Ladybug exclaimed. –“ _Hawk Moth akumatized a mummy?! A dead body?!_ ” -she thought to herself, wondering how did he managed to do it, while also wondering just how powerful Hawk Moth really was.  

“ _Oh, my God… Jalil is going to flip out, when he finds that he missed this…_ ” -Dragonfly thought to herself.

“ _We’re battling a mummy?!_ ” -Antelope thought to himself.

“Demons?! Sorry, man, but we’re not demons!” -Chat Noir exclaimed. –“Whoever told you that, has clearly lied to you. We’re the good guys!”

“Yeah! We’re the Miraculous Team! We’re not demons!” -Louve Grise exclaimed to the akuma. –“If we were demons, then why would we be shielding the people you trapped in here with you?” -she asked him.

“Whoever told you that we are evil, has lied to you.” -Flamingo said.  

Hearing those comments and fearing that Ra might question what they were saying, Brutus decided to intervene and turn the tide in their favour, by playing the part of the Egyptian god of war. Approaching the akumatized pharaoh, he placed his left hand on his shoulder and shouted:

“Don’t listen to them! Every single word that comes out of their mouths is a lie!” -Brutus said. –“They obviously did it to fool you and your men that they have good intentions!”

“Y-Yes… they are liars. Demons will do anything to deceive those who fight for good.” -Ra said, believing in what Brutus was saying. –“It is the will of the gods that we shall be victorious today! Men, attack them!”

Obeying the orders from their lord and master, the soldiers began the attack on the heroes, throwing everything they had against them. This, however produced no effect, as their weapons just bounced off the energy bubble that was around the heroes. Seeing this, the hostages kept shouting and cheering the heroes.  

“Seems to me like they want to party.” -Dragonfly said, as she looked at the soldiers through the energy shield, trying their best to get to them.

“Then, how about we show them how we party in the 21st century, huh?” -Antelope declared.

Fuelled by the enthusiastic cheers, most of the heroes felt like they could face anything. But their leader, Ladybug, had a feeling that something was wrong. In all of their battles, they had never seen an akuma taking orders from someone else, other than Hawk Moth. If the guy who was ordering him around was a new lieutenant Hawk Moth had found, then, just how strong was he really? What kind of powers did he have? Was he stronger than Ra, or did he have some kind of power that enabled him to control akumas, the same way his master did? Questions were building up in her mind, and Ladybug, who had been the one to beg her friends and teammates to relax and stay calm, was now the one feeling scared and stressed with all that.       

“What’s the matter, Marinette?” -Rena Rouge asked her, whispering her name. She had noticed there was something wrong with her best-friend, just from looking into her eyes. It was a power she had; not exactly a superpower, but a power nonetheless. –“And don’t tell me that nothing’s wrong. You know that I can see right through you.”

“I don’t like this…” -Ladybug sighed, with a serious voice. –“Our akumatized pharaoh is taking orders from that other guy. We never saw an akuma that took orders from anyone, but Hawk Moth himself.” -she stated, as her mind came up with every possible scenario, most of which were not good.  

“Girl, what have we learned, since we got these things?” -Rena Rouge asked her, smiling, as she reached for her miraculous and touched it with her fingertips. –“That we should always believe that we can do anything, even when the odds are against us.” -she told her. –“It’s true that we don’t really know what’s exactly going on here, nor do we know anything about that guy, who might or might not be pulling the strings in this case. But you know what? That has never stopped us from doing what we’re supposed to do. It’s like you are always telling us… as long as we fight together, we can do anything. Now, show me that game face that you put on, just before you kick someone’s ass.”  

Like always, Rena Rouge knew just what to say to her best friend, in order to calm her down and to reassure her that everything would be alright. Smiling back at her, Ladybug saw herself giving thanks for having such an incredible friend, who was always by her side, and who knew just what to tell her, when she needed to hear it. And right then, she just felt like hugging her and tell her just that. Still, she did not to do it, because that was not the time or the place to do it.

“Sometimes, I think you should be the team’s leader, instead of me.” -Ladybug smiled, as she made a mental note to thank Rena Rouge properly for that little pep talk, later.

“Well, then, it’s a good thing that I think I would be a really lousy leader.” -Rena Rouge joked. –“You’re the leader we need, girl. And I couldn’t be more honest about it, even if I wanted to.” -she smiled. –“Now, come on. We’ve got our game faces on, and you know what that means.”

“Yeah, I do.” -Ladybug smiled.

“What are you saying, girls?” -Louve Grise asked Ladybug.

“Oh, nothing, Sabrina.” -Ladybug said, as she smiled at her. –“She was just saying that we’ve got to put our game faces on.” -she casually said.

“About time! I was starting to think we were going to stay here, all day long, just looking at those guys, trying to burst into this energy shield.” -Antelope declared. He had some unfinished business with Reptile.

“I’m ready, when you guys are.” -Flamingo declared.

“Me too. Let’s send this guy back to the Underworld!” -Corbeau Noire smiled.

“We’re ready, when you are, milady.” -Chat Noir declared, as he and the others readied themselves for battle.

“Okay, then let’s do this.” -Ladybug declared, as she looked at Carapace. –“Nino, make the shield disappear.” -she ordered him, as she grabbed her yo-yo and began to spin it as fast as she could, creating her already famous shield.

“You got it!” -Carapace smirked, as he made the shield disappear.


	19. Fight Like an Egyptian

As soon as the energy shield that Carapace had conjured up around them disappeared, the heroes wasted no time in attacking their attackers. As expected, Ra's army continued to attack the heroes with everything they had, just like they were doing before. Still, that did not prevent the heroes from doing what they were used to doing. Taking position, Ladybug signalled her friends and teammates to take down the soldiers as quickly as they could, before joining them. She and Chat Noir would take on Ra, and Hawk Moth's lieutenants, who remained on the upper floor, watching the fight.

But unlike what they thought, soon, they understood that reaching Ra was not going to be as easy as they had thought it would be. Unlike most Hawk Moth pawns or Akuma pawns, Ra's soldiers were a lot tougher and were far better fighters. No matter how they attacked them, they managed to defend themselves and counterattack almost immediately. If one would have to describe them, they would likely use the expression a "well oiled-machine" to do just that.

"Watch out for their counter-attacks!" -Ladybug warned Chat Noir, as she used her yo-yo on one of the soldiers.

"Thanks for the advice, milady… behind you!" -Chat Noir exclaimed, as he used his staff to hit a soldier that had managed to place himself behind the scarlet heroine, and who was about to grab her. –"No need to thank me." -he smirked at her, who returned that smirk with a kind smile.

"Scram, mummies!" –Forest Doe said, as she fired her arrows against multiple soldiers.

"Batter up!" -Antelope exclaimed as he swung his bat, hitting two soldiers on the head as hard as he could. To his surprise, not only they withstood the full impact of the hit, as if it had been nothing. –"O-kay, I guess I'll just have to hit you guys even harder!" -he stated, confident that his next attack would put them out of commission.

Watching the whole thing from his lair, Hawk Moth was pleased with the fact that Ra's army was managing to give the heroes a run for their money. Still, that was not enough. He needed that Ra would go into battle, instead of just leaving the fight to his army. The faster this happened, the faster the Miraculous Team would be defeated and killed. As such, he decided that perhaps Ra needed a little incentive to begin fighting the heroes with his bare hands. Most his other akumas would simply go into action, seeking the one, or ones, who they believed were responsible for their misery or hatred. But Ra was different. Having died thousands of years before, the reanimated pharaoh did not have any sort of bad feelings inside of him. But as always, Hawk Moth knew just what to do. He would have to appeal to the most primitive and most powerful of all feelings, to force Ra to obey him… fear. And in Ra's case, the fear of not being able to accomplish the mission he was supposedly given by the gods, combined with the fear of his soul, and the souls of his men, being lost in the Underworld, would be enough to make him attack the Miraculous Team, or so he thought.

" _Ra, what do you think you're doing? Are you going to stay there and let your men face those wicked demons?!_ " -Hawk Moth's voice echoed inside Ra's mind. –" _I, Hawk Moth, have given you more than just the power to bring your men back from the dead. Use that power, or you will be stripped from it, and sent back into the Underworld, where your soul, and the souls of your men will never rest in peace._ " -the villain told the akumatized pharaoh, believing that after hearing those words, he would attack the Miraculous Team.

"Forgive me, great Osiris. I will make use of such power, right away." -Ra said.

Until then, Ra had not showed any of his powers. The resurrection of his army had been a simple extension of his own akumatization. Neither Brutus or Reptile knew what kind of powers he had. The only one who had a general idea of the kind of powers Ra had was none other than Hawk Moth. Because his Akuma butterflies magnify the physical and personality traits a person has, he knew that in Ra's case, his powers would come from his devotion to the ancient Egyptian gods.

Calling upon the powers that resided inside him, it took him only a few seconds to understand what kind of powers possessed. The first thing he thought to himself was that the gods had been too kind and had lent him their own powers. He could feel the essences of Sekhmet, Hapi, Amun, Geb, Seth, among others. Believing firmly that the powers of the gods would help him in his mission, he made use of the very first one. The power of fire from Sekhmet.

"Taste the wrath of Sekhmet, you heathens!" -Ra bellowed.

After he finished that sentence, from his hands' fireballs were fired. But these were not just regular fireballs. They were shaped like roaring lion heads and they seemed to have a life of their own. Targeting Ladybug and Chat Noir, the two heroes were forced to halt and dodge these. Seeing one of these fireballs heading towards Ladybug, Chat Noir threw himself in front of her and grabbed the scarlet heroine, managing to avoid her being turned into a piece of burnt coal.

"Whoa! That was a close one!" -Ladybug said, as she tried to calm her heart, which by then was beating like crazy due to the scare.

"A few centimetres to the right and we would've been extra crispy…" -Chat Noir cracked a joke, trying to sound like he was calm and relaxed, which he was not.

"Got that right." -Ladybug admitted, silently thanking the fact her partner saved her from certain doom. –"Still, doesn't really matter… we can take him." -Ladybug told her partner. Still fuelled by both the scare and the positive energy given to her by the applauses and the hoorahs from the hostages, she was determined to show Ra she and her friends were not kidding around.

"You're right. Let's see if this guy fights like an Egyptian!" -Chat Noir exclaimed, as he grabbed his staff and swiftly followed her.

Continuing to fire against the ladybug and cat duo, Ra's fireballs roared as they ripped the air, burning everything, they hit. The two heroes thanked the fact that Ra's speed was a little slower than theirs, as they kept avoiding the menacing fireballs. Seeing this, Brutus concluded that it was time for him and Reptile to also join the fight. But more importantly, it was time for him to introduce himself to the heroes and show them what he could do.

"Excellent work. Continue with those attacks and make sure to target each of the demons! I will lead your troops into battle, so you can focus on attacking those demons." -Brutus told Ra, falsely praising him, before turning to Reptile. –"Follow me. It's time for us to also face them." -he told the lizard man.

"About time!" -Reptile thought to himself. –"Lead the way!" -he said, as he pulled out his weapon, and readied himself.

"My men will obey your every command, oh great Mantu!" -Ra said, as Brutus and Reptile jumped.

Once on the ground, Hawk Moth's lieutenants went into opposite directions. Reptile made his way into battle, having spotted both Antelope and his partner, Dragonfly. As for Brutus, he decided to introduce himself to the team's leaders. But like a wise soldier, he knew that he should not attack them alone. Commanding four nearby soldiers, he ordered them to attack Ladybug and Chat Noir, as he prepared to fight them. Having observed them and their fighting style, he knew that the best weapon he could use to face them was one that allowed him to keep his distance. Usually, he would prefer to keep things close and personal. But he knew that if he did that, things could get complicated. So, he was going to play it safe. Focusing he pulled from his back a war hammer that looked like something a character from an RPG videogame would use in battle. Swinging it around, he felt that it had the right weight and the perfect balance; absolutely perfect to crush the heroes' skulls with. He waited for them to get rid of the last soldier before charging against them. Without uttering a single word, he attacked both Ladybug and Chat Noir, swinging the hammer, as if the massive weapon was as light as a feather.

"So, how do we call you, man? Crusher? Tin Man? Gladiator? Hammer Guy?" Am I getting any closer to what your real name is?" -Chat Noir joked, as he dodged the hammer, which nearly grazed his chin. –"Okay, that was a close one! So, come on, tell us your name! If you're the newest cretin serving under Hawk Moth, we want to know what to call you!" -he kept joking, while dodging another attack from Brutus.

"The name is Brutus, and you will do well to know it." -Brutus answered him in a neutral tone, which surprised both Chat Noir and Ladybug, who were used to hearing Hawk Moth's lieutenants spit out all kinds of threats against them.

"Okay, I wasn't exactly expecting that kind of answer." -Chat Noir admitted in an almost playful voice. "You usually, just spit out every insult in the book at us." -he stated the fact.

"Focus, Chat!" -Ladybug said, as she threw her yo-yo at Brutus, only for him to dodge it.

"Unlike Reptile, who clearly has a nasty tongue, I think it's a waste of time and energy to insult your opponents." -Brutus stated. –"I prefer to let my weapon do the talk for me!" -he declared, as he slammed the hammer against the floor, after failing to hit Ladybug who dodged the hammer on the very last second.

"Well, that's a change… Still, you're not going to get our miraculouses!" -Chat Noir warned him, stretching his staff and attacking Brutus, only for him to deflect the attack with the hammer's handle.

"We shall see about that!" -Brutus exclaimed, as he attacked them once more.

As the fight continued between Brutus and the leaders of the Miraculous Team, Ra continued to shoot fireballs against the heroes. Defending his men, he had focused his efforts on Arachnid and Forest Doe, who had joined forces.

"That guy is going to barbecue us." -Forest Doe said, as she used her bow to hit a soldier that had tried to grab her left arm, while also avoiding Ra's fireballs. –"We can't keep this up."

"I'll try and keep him occupied, while you deal with these guys." -Arachnid said as he jumped and stuck himself to the wall, starting to crawl it was fast as his arms and legs allowed him to. –"Hey! Come on, give me your best shot, pharaoh!"

"Die, you demon!" -Ra said as he fired another fireball.

Moving from side to side, Arachnid was trying his best to keep Ra busy, with every fireball hitting the wall. But in the heat of the moment, the spider hero forgot that if Ra kept doing that, sooner or later, the building would begin to feel the stress of those impacts. Luckily, Chat Noir noticed it and felt it was his duty to warn his partner.

"At this rate, our resurrected pharaoh is bound to do something that will put the building's structure integrity in risk." -Chat Noir told Ladybug, as he dodged yet another swing from Brutus, who was proving to be a lot faster and agile than he looked. The feline hero never thought that a fiend of Brutus build could be so fast and agile.

"I agree. The hostages are safe, beneath those shields, but the building itself might not take our battle. It might start to collapse… We have to take this battle outside!" -Ladybug exclaimed, as she punched Brutus, sending him fly a couple of meters, only for him to get back up. Looking around, she was looking for the person who could easily take every last enemy outside in a matter of seconds. And she found her. –"Queen Bee! If you're not too busy, we're going to take the party outside! Operation "Clean-up on aisle 5", now!"

Queen Bee was a little busy with one of the soldiers, who had grabbed her right leg, forcing her to use her trompo to get rid of him. Upon hearing what Ladybug had asked her, she knew that things were about to get chaotic, to say the least. "Clean-up on aisle 5" was a manoeuvre the two of them had come up with after Christmas. Basically, it consisted in Queen Bee using her powers to create a tornado that would suck up all the enemies in, and then, throw them onto the opposite direction. It was quite a powerful move, and although Ladybug knew that Ra would not be easily defeated by it, she hoped that at the very least, his army, or most of it, would be put out of commission, facilitating their job.

"Got it!" -Queen Bee exclaimed, as she turned to Louve Grise, who was just a few meters from where she was. –"Louve, hold on to something!"

Hearing her out, Louve Grise did as she was told, while the bee heroine focused on what she was about to do. Spinning her trompo, she created a small tornado, no bigger than a small bush. But like all the tornados that she created, this one began to grow in size and also in power, with the wind inside it whooshing like crazy. It did not take more than a couple of seconds, before it became the size of a bus, showing no sign of stopping. And as it increased in size, it began to pull everyone and everything that was not nailed to the ground.

The heroes, noticing what was going on, quickly did the same thing as Louve Grise. They held on to something. In Carapace and Rena Rouge's case, the turtle hero created an energy shield around them, to protect to them. In Grizzly Bear's case, he sank his fists onto the ground, breaking the tiles and holding on to the concrete, hoping for the best.

Noticing what was about to happen, Brutus dropped the spear he was holding, which then disappeared, and produced a large longsword from his chest, pulling it out and carved it on the ground with all his strength, so he had something to hold on to, as the tornado roared and pulled everyone and everything inside it. Reptile, on the other hand, was not so lucky. Having engaged in a fight against Antelope and Dragonfly, the lizard man realized too late what was going on. While the two heroes managed to find something to hold on, before the tornado sucked them up, Reptile was not fast enough, and ended up being sucked in.

"N-No!" -Reptile screamed, as he tried to run from the tornado, only to be pulled in.

"See you later, lizard breath!" -Antelope smirked, as he held on to the railing as hard as he could.

Once she believed she had caught every last soldier, Queen Bee ordered the tornado to change direction and spit them all out through the Louvre pyramid. Doing so, everyone and everything the tornado had sucked was fired outside, breaking almost every glass on one of the sides of the pyramid, with some of them landing on top of the shields that were protecting the hostages. With that trick, Queen Bee had managed to clean up the room in a jiffy. But there were two individuals that had not been sucked by her tornado. The first one was Brutus, who despite the power of the wind had managed to hold to the longsword he had conjured and carved on the ground. The second one was Ra. To the heroes' amazement and shock, the akum had not moved an inch from where he was. All thanks to an energy shield that he had conjured.

" _Something tells me that beating this guy isn't going to be as easy as one might think._ " -Carapace thought to himself, as he looked at the shielded akuma, while also making the shield he had conjured around him and Rena Rouge disappear.

" _You've got to be kidding me…_ " -Rena Rouge thought to herself.

"You demons! You dare to treat the gods who are helping me, and my men, who did nothing to you, like that?!" -Ra bellowed at the Miraculous Team. –"Now, you will face the wrath of the gods, through my own hand!" -he went on. –"Amun, grant me the power of the wind, so I may teach them a lesson!"

Saying those words, out of nowhere, the wind began to blow quite fiercely, increasing with each passing second. It did not take long for the heroes to feel like they were going to be blown away as if they were dandelion seeds on a windy day. Trying their best, they did everything in their power to not be blown away. But even their best was not enough. One by one, they were blown away, flying through the Louvre pyramid, just like it had happened with Ra's soldiers, when Queen Bee used one of her tornados on them. The full force of the wind was such that some of the heroes began twirl in mid-air, making them dizzy and unable to know where they were going. Luckily, the team's members who were able to fly, who thanks to their aerial training, recovered faster than their friends and wasted no time in giving them help, by grabbing them and taking them to the ground.

"Don't worry, I got you!" -Flamingo exclaimed, as she grabbed Panda Rouge and made her way into ground, to drop him safely.

"Thanks…" -Panda Rouge said, a little unease. Like all the others, he was taken by surprise with Ra's attack.

The truth was they were not expecting Ra to be able to do that. Having him launching fireballs shaped like the head of a lion was one thing. But having the power to cast an energy shield around him; that was a totally different thing. Though conjuring wind out of nowhere and turn into a weapon, rivalling Queen Bee's ability had come as a bit of shock too, especially they all thought he would be a more physical foe, instead of a mystical one. They had all seen at least an akuma manipulating wind. But an energy shield, that was a first for them.

The only good thing about what had happened to them, was that now they were on the outside, where they had more space to move, and where they would not have to worry about damaging the inside of the Louvre. But that was where the good news ended; because what they saw was that instead of just one problem, they had two problems. Ra's army, along with Reptile, were attacking the police and the SWAT Teams that had been dispatched to deal with what was going on in the Louvre, and things did not look good for the law enforcement agents, who were being outmatched in combat.

"I guess we shouldn't have used the "Clean up on aisle 5" manoeuvre…" -Ladybug sighed, as she saw what was going on.

"You think?!" -Queen Bee asked her, with a sarcastic tone, which earned the stink eye from some of the team members, namely Chat Noir, Louve Grise, Rena Rouge and Corbeau Noire. –"What?! I'm just stating the obvious… and before you say anything, don't blame it on me. I just used that manoeuvre because a certain Ladybug decided it was a good idea!" -she said, as she washed her hands of that situation.

"Nobody's blaming you. But still, that's not very nice, you know?" -Corbeau Noire said, while raising her eyebrow at the bee heroine.

"Never mind that, we got bigger problems, than to put the blame for what's going on, on someone." -Flamingo said.

And Flamingo was right. Things were not looking good, and it was their fault. They should have thought that the police would be waiting outside, when the alarm went off. That was a rookie mistake and they did it. They had been fighting akumas and other kinds of bad guys for months now, and it seemed like they were making mistakes only a rookie hero would do, when dealing with a situation like that. Still, hat was not the time to be cursing themselves for that mistake, and Ladybug knew it. They had a situation on their hands, and they needed to deal with it.

"Okay, listen up, everyone… spread out! We've got to lend them a hand!" -Ladybug ordered the whole team. –"And remember, keep an eye out for Ra and that new lieutenant! They'll be sure to come out of the building in a couple of seconds." -she added.

And once again, she did not miss what she was saying. A few seconds later, Ra showed up, floating in mid-air, while Brutus burst through the main door.

"They're already here." -Panda Rouge declared.

"Fine, new plan… Chat, you and me, we're going up against Ra. Carapace, Rena Rouge, you come with us. The rest, spread out and take down as many soldiers as you can, while rescuing the police officers, if necessary." -Ladybug said.

"What about the new guy?" -Arachnid asked. Someone would have to handle him. Brutus had already proven that he was a dangerous opponent.

"I'll handle him." -Grizzly Bear said, as he clenched his fists.

"Okay, but be careful. He's a lot faster and more cunning than he looks at first." -Ladybug warned him. –"Remember. The safety of everyone who can't fight these things is our priority, just as much as fighting Ra." -she said. –"Now let's take care of this, so we can go back and enjoy the rest of our fieldtrip with Miss Bustier, guys!"

Following her lead, the team spread out, knowing what their mission was. While some took on Ra, and others went to protect the police officers from the akumatized soldiers, Grizzly Bear ran in Brutus' direction, determined to put him out of commission. Noticing the bear hero running towards him, Brutus knew what was to come. Just from the looking at his eyes, he could tell that Grizzly Bear wanted to fight him, but more importantly, he wanted to defeat him. Reading his body language, he believed the only thing he needed to take care of him was a blade. Pulling one from his chest, he waited for Grizzly to be in front of him, before attacking him. After dealing a couple of blows to test the bear hero's moves, Brutus allowed him to attack him, so he could study his moves more carefully. It did not take him long to see that he seemingly had no sort of technique, or if he had one, it was incredibly random.

"Decent moves, but you clearly fight like a child. Eager to begin, quick to finish." –Brutus told him, as he blocked every single punch Grizzly threw at him with relative ease. –"If you used your brain, instead of just your brute strength, you might be able to land a blow on me…" -he said, when Grizzly hit him in the jaw, after performing a right uppercut, making him drop the blade he was holding, which turned into dust, as soon as it hit the ground.

"That was just the first of many that are still to come, bozo! Don't think that I'm just brawns and no brain, just because I look like that. I'm going to give you the same treatment I give that lizard you are hanging out with." -Grizzly smirked at Brutus, who had not seen that coming.

"We'll see about that, young man." -Brutus said, as he pulled twin axes from his shoulder pads.

While Grizzly Bear battled against Brutus, the rest of the team kept itself busy. Panda Rouge and Forest Doe both helped the SWAT Team, who were under heavy fire from several soldiers carrying bows and arrows. After seeing that neither their bullets, nor their tasers had any effect in the akumatized soldiers, they took refuge inside the police van they had arrived in, while their adversaries launched arrows at them, which pierced the van. Getting on top of the van, Forest Doe wasted no time in using her special arrows against the soldiers, hitting them, one by one, only for these to pull themselves back up the second after.

"Come on! There are a lot more arrows form where those came from!" -Forest Doe said, as she produced three arrows and shot them at the same time.

She kept firing arrows as fast as her arms and hands allowed her to, while also deflecting as many arrows as she could, either with her own arrows or with her bow. She needed to buy Panda Rouge time for him to rescue the SWAT agents, who were locked inside the van. Knowing it was not safe for them to stay there, they knew they had to take them out of there. The ideal would be to cast an energy shield around the van, but Panda knew that the shields he was able to draw and bring to life were not as resistant as the ones Carapace was able to conjure, which were unbreakable, and right then, the turtle hero was busy helping Ladybug, Chat Noir and Rena Rouge. So, he decided the safest thing was for them to seek shelter inside the museum. But first, he had to get them out of the van. Quickly thinking of how he was going to do that, without risking the safety of the officers, he came up with a solution. Turning his spear into a sketching pencil, he quickly drew multiple wristbands which when activated, created a temporary force-field around the person wearing it. Once that was done, he drew a hole on the side of the van.

"Gentlemen, this way please. And you might want to put these on, before making your way inside the Louvre." -Panda Rouge warned the SWAT agents, as they exited through the hole in the van he had created. –"Don't worry, my friend and I will take care of this. There's nothing to worry about. Those devices will protect you until you enter the museum."

* * *

As she finished taking down one of the soldiers with her fans, Louve Grise heard a familiar voice. Chaos was installed, but even in the midst of all that roaring chaos, she was able to hear that voice. A voice which she learned to recognize from the day she was born, and that she would be able to recognize among millions of other voices; the voice of her father. Looking around, it took her less than three seconds to spot him. When Ra threw her and the rest of the Miraculous Team outside, and she saw the police everywhere, she figured that her father would be among those who had been sent to check on what was going on. Still, deep inside, she hoped she was wrong, because she feared that one of those days, he might get hurt.

" _Dad… why is it that every time an akuma attacks, you have to be near it_?" -Louve Grise asked herself, as she punched one of the soldiers in the gut, making her way to where her dad was. –" _Hang on, I'm coming, dad._ "

Lt. Roger Raincomprix had just kicked one of the soldiers, when another grabbed him from behind and tried to immobilize him. The lieutenant tried to fight back, but the soldier was too strong, as he wrapped his arms around him, making it impossible to escape from his embrace. Still, Lt. Raincomprix tried his best to break free. Help came in the form of a fan, who stroke

"T-Thank you." -Lt. Raincomprix thanked the wolf heroine.

"My pleasure, officer." -Louve Grise told her father. –"Don't take this the wrong way, but if I have to save you every time we run into each other, I might I have to start charging you a small fee." -she joked.

"Maybe… behind you!" -Lt. Raincomprix warned her.

When she heard that warning, Louve Grise almost instinctively turned her head to see yet another soldier trying to grab her. But unlike her father, the wolf heroine was more than a match for him. Performing a beautiful, almost graceful hyper tornado kick, hitting the soldier on the chest and sending him flying away a good dozen meters.

"Guess we're even…" -Louve Grise stated, as she smiled at her father. –" _Thanks for having my back, dad._ " -she thought to herself. –"It's not safe to stay here. I better get you out, before things get worst."

"B-But I can't abandon my men…"

She already knew he was going to say that. Sabrina's dad was not one to run from his obligations, especially when men under his command were risking their lives. But she feared for his safety and she knew that if things began to get even more dangerous than what they were already, he could get hurt. Right then, all she wanted to do was to grab him and take him to the opposite margin of the Seine, where she believed, he would be safe. But she knew that he was not going to allow her to take him away from where the action was happening. Thinking as fast as her brain allowed her, she only saw two ways out of that mess. Either, she ignored his wishes and took him to the other side of the river, where he would be safe, or she would have to find a way to keep him safe there. It was then that the answer to her dilemma came flying towards her. Carapace had just been hurled by one of Ra's counterattacks, when he fell at Louve's feet. Quickly, she and her father checked him, to see if he was badly injured.

"Carapace! Are you okay?!" -Louve kneeled beside him, looking for any kind of injury he might have. At first glimpse, he looked okay. He had a couple of bruises on the face, but nothing serious.

"I-I'm fine… that guy caught me b-by surprise." -Carapace said, as he tried to get back up.

"Easy there, young man… that was a nasty fall. Are you sure you can get back on your feet?" -Lt. Raincomprix asked him, as he pulled himself up, using his tonfas to help him.

It had been a really nasty fall. The turtle hero almost did not see the attack that hurled him. He only had time to use his tonfas to crudely block the attack, while hoping for the best. As he got back up, he felt his head dizzy, needing a moment for the world to stop spinning.

"I-I'm okay." -Carapace assured him. It was only when he spoke that he realized he was his friend's father. The dizziness in his head was slowing down his reasoning. –"B-Besides, that guy isn't as tough as he t-thinks he is."

"Yes… but, before you go, could you, maybe, bubble up this officer here, for his own safety?" -Louve Grise asked him.

When she asked him, the turtle hero did not even hesitate in doing it. Still slightly dizzy, he swung his tonfas, quickly creating a shield and placing it around Lt. Raincomprix. This one protested about it, saying that that was not necessary and that he could handle himself. But his protests ended up falling on deaf ears. All that mattered for Louve was that her father was now safe.

"Don't worry. This shield will protect you from anything they throw at you." -Louve Grise said, as she ignored her dad's protests. –"It's for your own safety, dad. You would do the same for me." -she thought to herself, knowing that what she was thinking was the honest true. –"Come on, let's go. We got a pharaoh to put back to sleep!"

"Right behind you!" -Carapace said, as he began running right behind the wolf heroine.

At the same time, Antelope was once again going up against Reptile. The lizard man was determined to finish what he had started inside the Louvre's lobby. Since the first time they went up against each other, Reptile's sparring technique had improved, but so did Antelope's. The lizard man was fast, but not as much as antelope, who kept dodging him with relative ease. As the fight went on, Reptile's short temper began to get the best of him.

"I'm going to wipe that smug off your face, kid!" –Reptile said, as he tried to slash Antelope with his blade.

"Oh, yeah?! I'd like to see you doing that, lizard breath!" -Antelope exclaimed, as he swung his bat and hit Reptile on the face with it. Hearing it, Antelope knew that he had broken half the bones of the lizard man's face, along with a couple of teeth, which would take him a couple of minutes to regenerate. –"Ouch, that must have hurt a lot!" -he kept mocking Reptile, who was becoming more enraged by the minute, as his strikes also increased in speed and number.

"I'm going to make you swallow every last word you've said, while gutting you like a fish!" -Reptile roared, as he charged against Antelope, only for him to kick him in the chin, breaking another couple of teeth. –"Aarrhgh! W-Why you…" -he cursed him.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?!" -Antelope joked, while laughing at the lizard man's

Still laughing like crazy due to Reptile's bad luck, Antelope was caught by surprise, when the lizard man, filled with rage jumped on him, and pinned him to the ground, making it impossible for him to move. Smiling wickedly at Antelope, Reptile planned to bit his head off and finish him, once and for all. Antelope struggled to set himself free, but Reptile had him pinned in such a way, that he was unable to move. Opening his mouth as wide as his jaw allowed him, the lizard man was about to bite off his face, when he was struck from behind by something hard. Roaring in pain, he loosened his grip around Antelope's arms, which allowed the hero to free his left arm and punch Reptile on the face.

"Get off him, iguana breath!" -Dragonfly yelled at Reptile, as she grabbed him by the shoulder and hurled him to the side.

"Thanks for the assist… not that I needed, of course." -Antelope told her, as he rubbed his left arm, which then felt incredibly sore.

"Of course." -Dragonfly replied, with a slightly mocking tone. –"Just make sure you don't let him do that to you again." -she warned him.

"Y-Y-You j-just made the biggest mistake ever, y-you brats!" -Reptile growled at the heroes, as he gritted his teeth in anger. –"I'm going to b-bite your heads off!" -he yelled at them, furious.

"Bring it, lizard boy!" -Dragonfly exclaimed.

* * *

Up in the air, Queen Bee, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire were busy fighting Ra, who was once again firing fireballs against them. The three of them were doing their best to serve as targets. They knew that as long as he was fighting them, he would be too busy to hurt anyone else, and it would also give Rena Rouge, Ladybug and Chat Noir a couple of minutes to rest, while waiting for Carapace to return, after being hurled by Ra, leaving them with one less person to attack Ra.

"Do you think he's alright?" -Ladybug asked Chat Noir.

"Don't worry, he's got a thick head." -Chat Noir said, knowing his

"Chat's right. He's got a thick noggin." -Rena Rouge stated, knowing deep down that her boyfriend would be alright. –"And for his sake, he better be alright, or else I'm going to get might upset with him. He told me that he was going to take me to the movies tomorrow night." -she said.

"Well, he better come back and fast. I don't like the ideas of Rose, Chloe and Juleka staying up there drawing that guy's fire."

As they flew around him, the girls felt that they should try and talk with him. They hoped that through dialogue, they would be able to make Ra realize that they were not demons and that he had been mislead by either Hawk Moth, or his lieutenants, or even both.

"I know you're not going to listen to us, but this is all a very big misunderstanding." -Corbeau Noire told Ra. –"Once again, we're not demons." -she told him.

"The bad guys are the one who brought you back to life." -Flamingo told him, as she dodged a fireball. –"Please, we're telling you the truth!"

"Liars! You demons speak nothing but lies!" -Ra exclaimed, as he continued to throw fireballs at them.

"Lies?! Wake up and open your eyes! Have you gulped so many disgusting love potions containing raw fish and other repulsive ingredients, that your brain can't even see the difference between a god and a sleazy lizard guy dressed up like a biker?!" -Queen Bee asked him, clearly offended with the fact of being called a liar.

"How dare you call that to Sobek, you demon?! You're talking about a god!" -Ra shouted at the bee heroine, not believing she and the others were addressing to Reptile that way.

"Why do you keep calling god to that disgusting lizard man?!" -Flamingo asked him, as she hurled her cane at his head. –"Reptile's not a god… he's just the minion of a psychopath who wants to take over the world! Trust me, I know what I'm talking about, and I know that deep down you are kind… er… person… akuma? You know what I mean…" -she said, as her cane ricocheted on Ra's body, without hurting him. –"They're just using you and your men to do evil."

"Enough! You shall not speak ill of the gods in my presence! Face the wrath of Hapi, you demons!" -Ra bellowed, as he prepared his next attack.


	20. Bogus Gods and Fake Gods

When the name of Hapi was evoked by Ra, the heroes knew that the akumatized pharaoh was about to do something that had to do with water, given that Hapi was the god of water also the deity associated with the Nile and its flooding. And in a matter of seconds, they got themselves into an even bigger pickle than the one they were in already. Springing from the Seine, numerous masses of water made their way to the shore; slowly but steadily, these assumed the appearance of animals, among them hippopotamus, crocodiles, ibises, pelicans, cranes, vultures and ostriches. And as if that was not enough, they began to grow in size, until they were two or three times the real size of said animals. With one swift move from Ra, those animals made of water, wasted no time in attacking both the heroes that were on the ground and up in the air.  

Seeing this happening, the heroes wondered just how powerful Ra really was. With a bloat of hippos and a bask of crocodiles heading towards them, Rena Rouge quickly used her flute-staff and tried to create an illusionary jungle around the animals, thinking that these would be confused by it, and give them time to deal with them. As she played the flute-staff, in her mind, she was cursing the fact that on top of the akumatized soldiers, who were giving them enough problems as it was, they now had giant water beasts to deal with as well. On more than one occasion her illusions had saved the day, and she was counting on this being another of those occasions. Unfortunately, and unlike what she was thinking, those animals did not have a mind of their own, and were being controlled by Ra himself, who saw through her tricks. In a matter of seconds, the animals passed through her illusion, destroying it, while charging against her and the remaining heroes.

“Look out, everyone! Run!” -Rena Rouge warned them.

Up in the air, things were pretty much the same. Queen Bee tried to get rid of them using one of her tornadoes, but the birds were as fast as lightning, hitting her, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire countless times, not allowing them to fight back. Once they felt they had the upper hand and prepared themselves to strike, the birds just attacked them even faster, preventing any sort of counterattack from their part.

“Damn water birds!” -Queen Bee yelled, as she did her best to dodge the flock of pelicans that was attacking her. –“Ouch! Let go of my hand, you idiot!” -she yelled at one of them, who bit her right hand and tried to swallow her trompo. Grabbing it by the beak, she hurled it as far as she could.  

“ _They’re not casting any shadow. I can’t attack them with my shadow ability_.” -Corbeau Noire thought to herself. Though her special ability was one of the most powerful ones amongst the whole team, it had a few rules to it, that made it hard or impossible to use, in certain circumstances, like then. –“Ouch! That one almost took my eye!” -she yelled, after an ibis hit her on the face.   

“They’re too many of them, which means we’re going to need more of us!” -Flamingo declared, as a plan began to take form in his mind. –“Luckily, that’s not a problem, with me around.” -she declared.

Making use of her special ability, Flamingo created nearly twenty copies of herself to help them deal with those birds. With that many copies, she believed she would be able to destroy them, or at least scare them away.

“I’ll deal with them. You keep attacking Ra!” -Flamingo and her copies declared in chorus.  

Down on the ground, things were not looking any better. The animals kept charging against Ladybug, Chat Noir and Rena Rouge, who were being forced to fight them. Though they were made of water, the heroes’ weapons did not pierce them, as one would expect it. That meant they could attack them and hurt them; but it also meant that if the animals bit them or swallowed them, it would be the end of it.  

“Hippos? Crocodiles? Pelicans? Who left the zoo’s cages open?!” -Chat Noir said, as he evaded the attack of an ostrich. –“What’s next, giant snakes?!” -he asked.

“Not so loud! You might give him ideas, Chat!” -Ladybug told him, as she dodged one of the crocodiles, who nearly bit her left leg. –“Get back, Tic-Toc! I’m not Captain Hook!” -she said as she hit it with her yo-yo, making him roar in pain.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say that my humorous streak is rubbing on you, milady.” -Chat joked, as he swung his staff and hit an incoming crocodile on the head.

“Maybe, maybe not. You’re not the only one who can make puns and tell jokes, you know?” -Ladybug playfully smiled at her partner. Though that was not the moment to crack jokes, the scarlet heroine silently thanked the fact they were doing it, because it calmed her nerves a bit.

With every passing second, the animals created by Ra became more feral and more unpredictable. Still, Rena Rouge believed that she knew how they could deal with them. And the way to do that was to make use of her knowledge of wild animals. Though she was never the biggest fan of natural life or wild animals, she knew a lot about them, thanks to her dad’s work at the zoo. She had heard him tell countless stories regarding many of the animals he treated, and each one of them, was filled with details on how to deal with them. Thanks to those stories, she knew a lot of ways to deal with wild animals, when these attacked or became dangerous. And now, she was hoping that everything she learned from her dad’s stories, would help her and her friends survive that ordeal.     

“ _We need to find a way to destroy these creatures, or at least immobilize them… oh no!_ ” -Rena Rouge thought to herself, as she somersaulted over a hippo, who tried to swallow her whole. –“ _That was a close one… I’ve got to focus. I need to remember what we must do when dealing with rampaging hippos and crocodiles…_ ” -she thought, as she tried to remember what her dad had told her once. –“ _If my memory serves me right, dad told me that one must never try to outrun a hippo in a straight sprint, and instead, should try and look for cover… except that there’s nothing I can use for cover, and that Ra is the one controlling them, so doing that would be nothing but a waste of time… now that I think of it, nothing dad ever told me about how to deal with these wild animals will serve for anything, in this case…_ ”

On the air, Flamingo and her copies managed to scare away most of the birds that were attacking her, Corbeau Noire and Queen Bee, allowing her to re-join the two of them in battle against Ra, who kept controlling all of the water animals that sprouted from the Seine, and telling them to attack. But in doing so, the birds went down to attack Ladybug and the others, who already had their hands full with the hippos, the crocodiles and the ostriches. Some of the pelicans targeted Rena Rouge, who had just dodged a crocodile. She saw them coming, and tried to also dodge them, the same way she did with the crocodile. But something inside her told her that even if she had Dragonfly or Antelope’s superspeed, she would not be able to dodge them.

Luckily, help sprinted in her direction and pulled her out of the way of the pelicans. Carapace returned on the right moment, accompanied by Louve Grise, and saved Rena Rouge.  

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” -Carapace said, smiling at his girlfriend.

“What took you so long?” -Rena Rouge asked him. She was happy to see him, but she would have not mind if he had showed up a couple of seconds earlier.

“Had to lend a hand to Sabrina.” -Carapace whispered to his girlfriend’s ear. With Louve’s help, he had managed to gather the last remaining police officers and placed them under an energy shield. The hardest was not gathering them, but dealing with the akumatized soldiers, which kept pulling themselves up, even after a colossal beating. Without a doubt, those were the toughest Akuma minions they had ever faced. –“But I’m here now, and that’s what… hold on…” -he said, as he created an energy shield in front of them, stopping a crocodile from attacking them. –“I’d love to continue this conversation, but I think that maybe…”

“… we should deal with these things? I agree.” -Rena Rouge told him, as she saw a hippo charging in their direction. –“Keep this shield up and try not get eaten, okay?”-she smiled at him, and before he could say anything, she took to the air. –“I’m going to try and see if I can stop that guy from controlling. Hang in there!”    

That move from Rena Rouge surprised not only Carapace, but also the other three heroes, who were not expecting it. Still, they tried to ignore it, as she joined Flamingo, Queen Bee and Flamingo, who were giving their all to defeat Ra and help their friends.

A flock of ibises attacked Chat Noir and he tried his best to get rid of them with his staff. At first, he tried to use his Cataclysm attack on the animals, but this one revealed ineffective on them. It was when that happened that he understood that he was not going to be able to rely on his trademark attack during that portion of the battle. Swinging his staff, up and down, left and right, he felt he was playing baseball; but instead of using balls and bat, he was using birds made of water and a metal staff. Still, even being as fast as he was, those birds were lightning fast. One of them targeted Chat’s head and it if was not for Louve Grise’s quick thinking and good set of lungs, he would have been hit by said bird. Freezing it with her ice breath, the ibis fell at Chat’s feet, shattering into pieces. It was only when this happened, that he realized what had happened.    

“Nice going!” -Chat Noir praised Louve’s move. –“Thanks for the save!” -he said, as he swung his staff and shot another one of those birds.

“Don’t mention it… hurry, duck!” -Louve Grise exclaimed, as Chat Noir did as she told him. Using her ice breath once more, she froze another ibis that was trying to do what the other was not able to.

“Thanks, again. These guys aren’t playing around.” -Chat thanked her.

“ _Of course! We should have remembered this from the beginning! These things are made of water. If we freeze them, we can shatter them!_ ” -Ladybug thought to herself, while telling herself that she should have thought about that solution from the very beginning of that fight. –“Louve, do you think you can freeze those guys?” -she asked her, pointing to the hippos and the crocodiles that were a couple of meters from them.

“I can try, but I’m going to need the bigger ones to stand still for a couple of seconds.” -Louve Grise said, as she used her fans on a trio of pelicans and froze them. Once that happened, these fell to the ground, where they shattered.  

“That’s going to be a little difficult, but we can try.” -Ladybug said as she swung her yo-yo and took down an ibis who tried to attack her. It looked like they had made their mission to target them. –“In the meantime, try to freeze the birds. Chat, follow my lead!” -she told the feline hero, who nodded with his head. Using her special 6th sense, which highlighted objects and even structures that could help her out, she knew just what to do to keep the hippopotamus and the crocodiles still.   

* * *

As that went on, the duel between Grizzly Bear and Brutus continued, with Brutus having the upper hand. The fight had been going on for a couple of minutes and though Grizzly felt at first that he was a match for Brutus, as this one went on, he began to have serious doubts he would be able to defeat him. As the time went by, he was impressed by how strong and fast he was, given his built, not to mention resourceful. He changed weapons every minute or so, as if testing him. And on top of it, he seemed to not show any signs of slowing down.    

“You fight well, I’ll give you that.” -Brutus said, as he attacked Grizzly with a spear.

“Well, I’m just warming-up.” -Grizzly Bear smirked, as he dodged Brutus’ attack. –“I’m fighting with everything I’ve got, and I could only land a couple of decent blows on him. This guy is definitely not like Reptile or Madame Romani… he knows how to fight.” -he thought to himself, when he was almost stabbed on the right shoulder by the spear. –“Whoa…”

“A good fighter keeps his mind on the fight, and not somewhere else, my boy!” -Brutus said, as he dropped the spear, only pull another weapon from his body; this time a halberd. –“If not, you’re going to end up losing your head.” -he said, as he swung the halberd and tried to cut off Grizzly’s head.

“ _Another weapon?! Just how many weapons can this guy pull from his body?!_ ” -Grizzly asked himself, as he kept dodging the halberd. –“I can do this all day, you hear me?” -he said, while giving Brutus a cocky smile. –“ _There’s no way I can keep up with this. I’ve got to find a way to take him down quickly, or he’s going to slice me in half with that thing._ ”

Blow after blow, dodge after dodge, Grizzly Bear did his best not to get killed by Brutus. The sound of the bear hero’s brass knuckles grazing the metal of Brutus’ multiple weapons was one Grizzly Bear would not forget, not only because it was a distintive sound, but because it would remind him that no matter just how strong he was, there would always be someone stronger than him, just waiting to prove himself. Without almost noticing it, Brutus pinned him against the building. Panting and feeling exhausted, Grizzly knew that if he wanted to beat Brutus, he would need help. He was by far the strongest member of the Miraculous Team, when it came to raw strength, but with Brutus, raw strength would not be enough to defeat him. Looking him in the eyes, he knew that Brutus was enjoying that. But unlike Reptile who was someone who liked to play with his food, Brutus was truly enjoying himself, as if that fight was the best thing that had happened to him in a very long time.  

“I swear that if I get out of this one alive… I’m going to train so hard to perfect my dodging skills, as well as my fighting skills, that when I’m done, the new Grizzly bear will make the current one look like he’s a sloth instead of a bear.” -Grizzly Bear promised himself, as he saw the huge mace that Brutus was holding in his right hand coming towards him for the killing.

He tried to dodge it, but with the feeling of exhaustion starting to conquer s body, he was unable to do it, and was hit on the left shoulder. Falling on his back, he hit the ground pretty hard. Trying to get back up, he was unable to do it, as Brutus laid the mace on Grizzly’s chest, preventing him from getting up.

“You fought well. I wish I could say that I would like to fight you once again in the near future, but that won’t happen.” -Brutus said, as he looked at Grizzly’s left wrist and noticed the spiked wristband he was wearing. –“Your miraculous will be the first one to be seized this afternoon.” -he declared as he kneeled and reached for it, when he felt something grabbing his wrist. It was Grizzly’s right hand. –“Oh, I see that you still have a little fight in you. It’s truly a shame we won’t have the chance to fight again…”

He was about to grab Grizzly’s miraculous when an arrow fell just right to Grizzly’s hand, startling Brutus. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Forest Doe a few meters from where he was, staring at him. By her side was Panda Rouge, pointing his spear at him. Smiling, he noticed just how similar her eyes were to Grizzly’s, but not in their shape or their colour. Instead, it was the way her eyes looked at him. They had the same passion, the same determination, blended with a little rage. He could tell that the bear hero meant a lot to her.

“Step away from him, or the next one won’t be a warning shot!” -Forest Doe warned Brutus, as she placed another arrow on her bow, pointing it to his head. –“I mean it! From this distance, there’s no way I can possibly fail!” -she warned him, this time trying to sound menacing.  

“The question is not if you will fail or not. The question is are you willing to risk the life of your friend?” -Brutus asked her.

When he asked Forest Doe that question, he waited for a split second to have his answer. In her eyes, she showed fear for his well-being, and that’s when he knew he had her where he wanted her. With one swift move he grabbed Grizzly Bear by the wrist and hurled him against Forest Doe and Panda Rouge, who were caught by surprise. This unexpected move forced the heroes to drop their guard, so they could grab Grizzly, and allowed Brutus to get behind them, by sprinting his way. Still using the same mace as before, he attacked both Doe and Panda with it, striking them on the back of the head. With a couple of moves, he had the three of them on the ground. To make sure that none of them would get up, he was forced to take some measures. Dropping the mace, which crumbled into dust, he pulled from his upper left arm a series of metal clamps, which he then used to bind Doe’s and Panda’s wrists and their ankles. The dizziness from the blow to the head made it difficult for them to focus, and as such, breaking out of those makeshift cuffs was not going to be easy.  

“You may be an incredible archer, but dropping your guard like that, and letting emotions get the best of you, reveals that you are a.” -Brutus told Forest Doe, as he looked at her. He had said that Grizzly Bear’s miraculous would be the first one to be taken, but because Doe was in front of him, he decided to take hers first instead. –“I’m sure that you have other abilities which make you a good fighter, but I’m afraid that you won’t have the opportunity to show them to me.” -he said, as his left hand reached for Doe’s miraculous. She squirmed and tried to break free, but it seemed she was not going to be able to. –“Squirm all you want, there’s no escape… what?!”   

Brutus felt something grab him from behind, and before he could react, he was pulled back and his left arm twisted to the point of break, forcing him to kneel. Turning his head and looking over his shoulder, he saw that the one attacking him was Grizzly Bear, and he did not look happy.      

“Take your mittens out of her, buster!” -Grizzly Bear roared, as he kept twisting Brutus arm as hard as he could. He did not care if he dislocated or broke something. Using him as a battering ram and then attacking Doe and Panda like that was low, as far as he was concerned. –“She’s not your adversary! I’m the one who’s fighting you, so let her go and fight me, you cretin! Or are you scared to face someone your size?!”

“I guess I should have also tied you up.” -Brutus admitted.

“Listen to me you over grown idiot! I haven’t said my last word, so until I do, you fight me and only me. Do you understand what I’m saying, knucklehead?!” –Grizzly Bear yelled at him.

He had just finished saying that threat, when the tables turned and Brutus was able to once again gain the upper hand in that situation. Reversing the lock, he was in, Brutus threw Grizzly against the building. The impact was so hard, that when he hit the wall, the rock cracked slightly. Dropping to the ground, Grizzly knew that he was going to be sore in the morning, and would most likely be forced to move rather slowly and carefully, once he transformed back into his civilian form. Still, he had not broken anything, as far as he could tell, and he tried not to think about the pain he was in, as he got up to face Brutus once more.      

“Your insults aren’t going to work on me, boy… not more than your enraged attacks, believe me.” -Brutus told him with a neutral voice, almost as if he did not care. –“But if you wish for me to finish you off first, instead of your friends, I’ll do that, and then I’ll take care of your friends and take your miraculouses to my master, so he can destroy them.” -he declared, as he pulled a sword from his chest. –“This time, I won’t be as gentle with you, as I was before.”

“ _Gentle?! That was him being gentle?!_ ” -Grizzly thought to himself. The mere idea of Brutus was merely kidding around while fighting him before, scared him. Still, he tried not to think about it, knowing that he had to focus on the problem at hand. –“Go ahead! I’m not afraid of you!” -he declared, trying his best to not show just how nervous he was.

The fight went on, with both Grizzly and Brutus exchanging blows. Despite the exhaustion, and the pain he was in, Grizzly continued to fight, while Brutus showed no signs of slowing down or of any apparent difficulty that prevented him from fighting. Usually, when fighting an Akuma or any of its minions, or even Reptile, Grizzly Bear tended to see himself as the one member in the Miraculous Team who could take on a whole group of giants with his bare hands and come out on top. But right then, he was seeing himself as the runt of the litter, who could not even clubber down Hawk Moth’s newest lieutenant.

“I wish you would put a little more effort into this fight.” -Brutus declared. –“Where’s the thirst for statement and the raw power that you were showing when he first began to fight?!” -he asked him.

Grizzly knew he was not going to be able to defeat Brutus, but inside his chest, he knew he had to keep fighting him. Because if he did not, he would take his miraculous and then do the same to Forest Doe and Panda Rouge. Right then, that thought alone was what kept him going. Appealing to every bit of strength he still had inside him, he decided to use his special attack, the Earth Shaking, on Brutus, hoping that it would at least slow him down. Smashing his fists against the ground, the electrical sparks caused by it hit  

“How do you like that, huh?!” -Grizzly Bear smirked, while panting. The attack took almost everything he had in him. Unfortunately, it was not enough. When the cloud of dust finally dissipated, Grizzly saw that his attack did not do more than a couple of scratches to Brutus, who was still on the same place he was, when he unleashed the attack on him. Seeing this, he fell on his knees. –“ _Oh, crud…_ ” -he thought to himself.    

“Impressive. That attack was perhaps your best… but if you were going to use it, you should have done it, when you were at full-strength. If you had done that, you might have actually hurt me.” -Brutus said, as he began walking in Grizzly’s direction, swaying his sword, in an almost playful way. –“But I think we have delayed the inevitable, for far too long. Don’t worry, because you have proven yourself a worthy adversary, I will end you with a quick and painless attack.” -he said, as he kept advancing. Smiling wickedly, he readied himself for the killing, when he felt the ground beneath his feet giving in, and began to sink into it. Looking down, he saw that the ground beneath his feet was now pink and it looked like it was made of some gooey substance. Trying to free himself, he saw himself unable to do it. –“W-What’s happening?! What is this gunk?!”

“Bubblegum, loser!” -Panda Rouge exclaimed. Unknown to Brutus, he and Forest Doe had managed to free themselves and had come to help Grizzly, right in the nick of time. –“Go ahead, try to free yourself. The more you struggle, the faster you sink into it, and believe me, I made that bubblegum super sticky.” -he smirked at Brutus, who kept sinking into the bubblegum.

“You may have bested me in combat, through the use of that trick of yours, but this won’t prevent me from fulfilling my task.” -Brutus yelled at Panda Rouge, as he tried to cut the bubblegum with his sword, only for this one to also get caught on the sticky substance.  

“Are you okay?” -Forest Doe asked Grizzly, as she helped him getting back up.

“I-I’m okay…” -Grizzly Bear he lied to her. He did not want her to worry.

“No, you’re not, and you know it. You’re hurt.” -Forest Doe told him. She could see how much in pain he was. It did not look like he had anything broken, but that did not mean he was not in pain.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” -Grizzly Bear tried to reassure her, even though he was doing a very lousy job.    

“Stop saying that!” -Forest Doe told him. –“I know that you have a tough guy image to protect, but even tough guys need a little help, from time to time. We’re going to get Carapace to heal you up, and that’s that.” -she declared, while looking him in the eyes, so he knew she was being serious. –“Do you know where Carapace is?”

“Last time I saw him, he was with Louve, and they were making their way to where Ra was.” -Panda Rouge told her.

“Then, let’s go to them. We need him to check on you and heal you, as soon as possible. You’re no good to anyone the way you are now.” -Forest Doe told Grizzly Bear.

“What about that guy?” -Grizzly asked, as he looked at Brutus, who was still struggling to get out of the puddle of bubblegum Panda Rouge had placed beneath his feet.

“He’s not going anywhere.” -Panda Rouge declared. –“Like I said, I made that bubblegum extra sticky. Unless someone helps him out, he’s going to be stuck there for a long time.”

“This isn’t over yet! Believe me when I tell you that this fight is far from over.!” -Brutus told the heroes, as they walked away, leaving him to try and get out of that puddle of bubblegum he was stuck in.

* * *

While Grizzly Bear, Panda Rouge and Forest Doe dealt with Brutus, Antelope and Dragonfly had their hands full with Reptile. Adrenaline, mixed with vengeance and hate, was crossing through the lizard man’s veins, as he tried to slice the two heroes open with his blade. At first, he pompously believed that he could take on Antelope alone, despite he was faster than he was. But when Dragonfly joined the fight, he knew that alone, he would not stand a chance. With that in mind, he decided to get some help from some of the soldiers that had not been bubbled up or were busy fighting or damaging public property. Three soldiers, fulfilling his orders attacked the two heroes.

“This time, you’re not going to get out of this one alive.” -Reptile grinned, as he watched the soldiers attacking the heroes.

“If I were you, I would think twice, before making such accusations.” -Dragonfly said as she used her frisbee to strike two of the soldiers on the head. –“As far as I can tell, Juddy Hopps there, and I, are pretty much  

“Don’t call me that!” -Antelope exclaimed. He hated when Dragonfly called him that. –“If you’re going to refer to me through a nickname, then at least give me a good one, like Air Jordan or Magic  Johnson!" -he told her.

“Air Jordan?! Magic Johnson?! Really?! You don’t even like basketball.” -Dragonfly joke, which earned her the stink-eye from Antelope. –“I mean, you’re basically hopping around, from side to side, just like Judy Hopps in Zootopia, so that nickname suits you way better than Air Jordan!” -she kept joking.

“Yeah, well, Judy Hopps is a girl, not a boy, so giving me that nickname is an insult. The very least, come up with a male nickname!” -Antelope shot at her.

“Stop ignoring me!!!” -Reptile yelled at the two heroes.

“Oh, come on, man, can’t you see we’re having a little conversation here?” -Antelope asked him, as he threw his bat against one of the soldiers, taking him down. –“I’m not one to point my finger at people, considering that I’m not exactly the most polite person in the world, but even I know that you should never interrupt two people, when they’re talking to one another.” -he said, as he jumped and grabbed his bat from the ground. –“Don’t tell me when Hawk Moth turned you into lizard, that your tiny brain forgot how people should behave in society?”

They were mocking him, and if there was one thing that Reptile hated, more than being ignored, was to be mocked. He had been ignored, mocked and despised by society for so long that his hatred towards those who life had been kind to, grew almost without boundaries. When he was recruited by Hawk Moth, to serve as his lieutenant, he hoped for two things to happen. The first, was to take revenge on the society who had despised him for so long. And the second, was to gain respect by everyone else. But, neither one of those things had happened, until then, and all because of the young heroes who opposed his master’s plans to rule the world.  

“Nobody treats me like that, especially two brats!!!” -Reptile growled at both Dragonfly and Antelope. The three soldiers that he had ordered to take them down had been defeated, leaving him alone, once more. Still, he was not going to let that prevent him from trying to kill them. –“I’m going to slit your throats so fast, you won’t even know what hit you… w-what?!” -he screamed, as he felt something wrapping itself around his legs.   

Without anyone realizing it, crawling over the nearest wall, Arachnid sneaked up behind Reptile and decided to web him up with his combat rope, so he would not be a threat anymore. Controlling his combat rope with the power of his mind, Arachnid stretched it and made it wrapping around the lizard man’s legs, before yanking him, making fall on his face, and pull him upwards. Reptile, shocked with what was happening with him, struggled as much as he could, trying to break free from Arachnid’s rope, but in the end, he ended with his head upside down, wrapped up like a caterpillar after falling on a spider’s web.  

“Hope you guys didn’t mind me doing this.” -Arachnid stated, as he landed on the ground.

“It’s okay, bro. He was starting to get annoying, anyways.” -Antelope told him. –“Spider-Man would be jealous of that stunt you just pulled.” -he declared.

“Totally.” -Dragonfly agreed, as she looked at Reptile, who looked even more pissed than he already was.   

“Let me go! Let me go, right now!” -Reptile growled, as he tried to get out. –“I’ll kill you for this, you brats!!!” –he threatened the,.

“You know, for a fake god, you talk too much, you two-bit lizard.” -Dragonfly mocked him, making him even more furious.      

“Sorry to leave you hanging around, but we’ve got more pressing matters to attend.” -Arachnid told him, as he signalled his friends. –“Ladybug and the others are having a couple of problems with Ra.” -he told them. Dragonfly and Antelope’s fight with Reptile had led to a part of the museum, where one could not see how the battle against the akumatized pharaoh was doing.

“Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let’s ditch iguana boy here and go.” -Antelope said.

“I’m going to kill you three for this!” -Reptile growled at the heroes. –“Just you wait until I get out of this rope!” -he threatened them, as he did his best to try and break free from Arachnid’s rope.

“Good luck with that. My rope is pretty much unbreakable. Unless someone with powers decides to get you out of it, or you choose to literally chew your arms off, you’re not going anywhere, Reptile.” -Arachnid said.

\-----------------------

The battle against Ra had taken another turn, when he decided to make use of the powers of Geb, the Egyptian god of the earth. When he did it, the water animals that had sprung out of the Seine and that Ladybug and the other heroes were not able to either freeze and destroy, disappeared almost instantly, to make way for another sort of powers. Snapping his fingers, Ra made the earth tremble, by causing earthquakes, opening chasms on the ground and making large rocks erupt from it as well. The heroes, who were not expecting that to happen, were caught by surprise and quickly saw themselves disoriented.

One of the attacks sent the heroes flying in every direction, scattering the team, who had to pick up the pace to get back to where the battle was happening. As they all made their way back to Ra’s position, they noticed that a police blockade had been set around the Louvre. They had been so focused on the battle, they had not noticed that police reinforcements had arrived, to prevent anyone from approaching the museum. Once more, the police adopted the old ideology of strength in numbers. An ideology that no matter how old it was, it still reflected how society worked most of the times. An ideology that the heroes themselves were making use of, right then. They knew that alone, they would not stand a chance against Ra and his array of elemental powers, and that they needed to work as a team. Still, after being hurled like a ragdoll, landing on the rooftop of the Louvre. one of the heroes felt that perhaps teamwork was not the answer to their problem; that perhaps the answer to their problem was in the opposite of teamwork.   

Inside Rena Rouge’s mind a plan began to take form, and the more she thought about it, the more it felt like a good idea. Though, deep inside, she was having second thoughts.  

“ _This is crazy, but… we’re being used as punching bags. It’s a crazy manoeuvre, but it might work._ ” -Rena Rouge thought to herself. –“ _What are you thinking Alya? Might work? Girl, you are not the kind of person to do things, without knowing if they will work, or at the very least, have a 70% chance of working. Still, sometimes you’ve got to go with your gut on this. If this guy really believes that Hawk Moth’s minions are gods, then, maybe he’ll believe that another god can just show up and tell him to stop this._ ” -she thought. –“Here goes nothing…”

Positioning herself behind a chimney, Rena Rouge knew that if that was to work, there could be no mistakes. Picking up her flute-staff, she focused on the image that she wanted to create and went for it. It was not a complex illusion that she wanted to create, but it was a very large one. Larger than what she usually created. This was going to drain a good amount of her energy, and she knew it. But she also knew that if it worked, the team and her would have a shot at stopping Ra, before he was able to discover and master all of the powers he had.

When commenting which power of the Miraculous Team they would like to have in real life, people would usually go for either Panda Rouge’s ability to draw objects and bring them to life, or Flamingo’s ability to multiply herself, allowing them to be in two or three places at the same time. Still. some would say that they would love to have Rena’s ability to create illusions, not knowing just how hard it was for her to use that power. They believed that she just had to imagine things and blow her flute-staff for them to appear. But the truth was far more complicated. She could not just imagine things to make them appear. She had to pay attention to details, and focus on the image itself, while also imagining what this one was supposed to do. And right then, she was thinking and visualizing as hard as she could the illusion she wanted to create.

“ _Come on, this has got to work! Remember the details you saw in the exhibit._ ” -Rena Rouge thought to herself, as the illusion she was creating began to take form.

As Ladybug and the other heroes, now joined by Grizzly Bear and the others who had been dealing with both Reptile and Brutus, arrived at the spot where Ra was, to keep fighting him, Rena Rouge’s illusion continued to grow in both size and detail. For that crazy plan of hers, she had decided to create a giant Maat, the Egyptian goddess of harmony, justice and truth. She believed that if there was one god or goddess that could successfully command Ra to stop his attack on her friends, it would be Maat. Basing herself on what she had seen of the goddess during the exhibit, she went with the more traditional depiction of Maat, a young woman with blue-green wings on her arms and an ostrich feather on her head, wearing a red and golden tunic and holding on her left hand a small golden staff, while on the right hand, she was holding a glowing ankh. When she finished it, she was quite proud of it. But she knew that the hard part was yet to come. She needed to convince Ra that that was the real goddess Maat.        

“Thutmosis!” -the giant illusion of Maat spoke with a booming voice. –“Stop this battle at once!”

Once Maat spoke, the battle ceased, as Ra and his men were shocked to see her. Believing they had been graced with the presence of yet another god, they all kneeled in reverence to her. As for the heroes, though surprised with what they saw, they knew that that was not the real goddess Maat, but an illusion created by Rena Rouge, who had yet to return.   

“ _Alya, you’re a genius._ ” -Ladybug thought to herself, as she looked at the giant Maat that was on the Louvre’s rooftop.

“ _That’s my girlfriend._ ” -Carapace mused to himself, feeling proud of yet another accomplishment from the girl he loved more than anything int the world.   

“Oh, great Maat… we are not worthy of your presence!” -Ra exclaimed, as he and every last of his men remained kneeled in reverence.

“Why are you and your men attacking these noble warriors?! Have you been led astray from the path of righteousness?!” -Maat asked the akumatized pharaoh.

“Great Maat… you, who knows everything, I was told by the great Osiris, who brought me and my men back to life, so we could destroy these fowl demons!” -Ra explained. –“He even has sent your fellow gods Sobek and Montu to help us!” -he declared.   

“Those gods as you call them are not gods! They are nothing more than demons that brought you and your men back to life, so you could kill these noble warriors, who have sworn theirs lives to protect those who cannot fight for themselves.” -Maat declared –“And the one who claims to be Osiris, is nothing more than another evil demon. I, Maat, goddess of truth, harmony and justice, came to warn you that you are all being used, and that these warriors are not your enemies.”

Rena Rouge was doing her best to make Maat’s illusion sound and behave like a true goddess would, but coming up with its speech was a little bit hard, given that she was to writing facts and not fiction, and Maat’s speech was a mix of both. Still, seeing what was happening down below, she knew that she had gotten Ra’s attention. All she needed now was to perhaps convince him to be freed from the Akuma butterfly that had brought him back to life, and that would be the end of it. But little did she know, that that battle was far from being over.


	21. The Fox and the Illusionist

Seeing the giant illusion of the goddess Maat, created by Rena Rouge, Ra believed he was in the presence of the true Egyptian goddess of harmony, justice and truth, and that this one was not happy with what she was seeing. And she was not the only one who was not happy. Hawk Moth, who had been watching everything that was going on, saw that the heroes were doing the same thing his lieutenants had done, when they resurrected the pharaoh, and knew that something had to be done. If he wanted to, all he had to do was to snap his fingers and Ra would be punished and forced to keep fighting the Miraculous Team, just like it had happened with other akumatized victims, who decided they did not want to fight the heroes, or that had decided to ignore one of his orders. But quickly assessing the situation at hand, Hawk Moth decided that perhaps there was a way to persuade the pharaoh that what was going on was just a trick from the heroes to fool him. Plus, it was imperative to release Reptile and Brutus, who had been taken down by the heroes, and were then unable to release themselves. He needed to send Madame Romani to deal with that situation.   

“You! Stop standing around and go and do something!” -Hawk Moth told Madame Romani. The gypsy woman, like him, had been watching everything that was happening on the Louvre, without uttering a single word.

“M-Me, master?” -Madame Romani asked, slightly shocked, as she believed that her master would not send her into battle that day.

“I don’t see anyone else around.” -Hawk Moth told Madame Romani. –“I’m going to teleport you there, and you’re going to make sure that Ra doesn’t see through the ruse that Brutus and Reptile have set up.” -he ordered her. –“And when you’re finished, release the two of them, so they can go back into battle.”

Hearing Hawk Moth saying that last sentence, Madame Romani asked herself why did her master ordered her to help out those two? As far as it concerned her, Reptile and Brutus had been caught by the heroes, and that was their problem not hers. But she knew that if she disobeyed Hawk Moth, there would be consequences because of her insubordination.  

“Yes, master.” -Madame Romani nodded her head. –“ _I’ll help those two, but I’ll only do it, because I do not want to end up being punished for disobeying orders._ ” -she thought to herself.  

“Find a way to discredit Ladybug and her friends and free Reptile and Brutus.” -Hawk Moth ordered her, as the top of his cane started to glow.

“Do you wish me to go into battle as well, master?” -Madame Romani asked Hawk Moth.

“No… keep yourself to the shadows. If you’re to help Ra and your fellow lieutenants, do it from afar.” -Hawk Moth declared. –“Now go! Get rid of that illusion and discredit the heroes. And don’t forget to free Reptile and Brutus!” -he said, as he fired a beam of light

Wrapped by that light, one second Madame Romani was in Hawk Moth’s hideout, and on the next, she saw herself on top of the Louvre. Thinking to herself, she admitted that she would probably never get used to being teleported anywhere like that. Looking up, she saw the giant illusion of the goddess Maat talking. She knew that had to be the work of Rena Rouge. Though Panda Rouge was known for creating outrageous contraptions and weapons, that giant Maat had Rena Rouge written all over her. Hearing the speech, she was giving Ra and his army, she knew she had to hurry. Running over the rooftop, she quickly spotted Rena Rouge hiding behind a chimney, playing her flute-staff and controlling the illusion she had created.

“ _There she is!_ ” -Madame Romani thought to herself, as she hid behind another chimney, fearing the fox heroine would spot her. –“ _All I have to do is take her down and that illusion of hers disappears… but if I do that, that stupid pharaoh might still believe that what he saw was real. I need to discredit that fake goddess first, and then deal with little fox._ ”

Thinking of a way to do it, she quickly came up with a way to kill two birds with one stone. Instead of just attacking Rena Rouge and making her illusion disappear, she was going to create her own version of the goddess Maat and attack the one Rena Rouge had created it. Doing it so, she was going to make Ra see that all of it was nothing more than a cleaver ruse, and then, her version of Maat was going to order him to destroy the heroes, while she herself dealt with Rena Rouge. Part of the plan was going against what Hawk Moth had ordered to do, but if she killed the fox heroine and brought her miraculous to her master, she was sure he would not mind her disobeying a couple of his orders.

“ _It will work… plus, those two idiots can wait a little longer. It’s their own fault, if they can’t stop those heroes from doing what they did to them._ ” -Madame Romani thought to herself. –“ _Now, let’s pull the plug on those kids!_ ”

Madame Romani did not know much about Egyptology or Egyptian mythology, but she did not need it. The fact that Ra thought that Brutus and Reptile were gods, had given her an idea. She was going to create a giant version of herself, and proclaim it as the real goddess Maat. If it worked with Brutus and Reptile, it would surely work with her as well; at least, that was what she thought. Focusing, she knew she would need to make her illusion larger and taller than the one Rena Rouge had created. That was one of the times where bigger, meant better. Little by little, her illusionary self, began to grow. It was only a matter of seconds before this one was twice the size of Rena’s Maat. And unlike the fox heroine, who had closed her eyes to focus on what she was doing, everyone else saw what was happening.

“ _This is bad!_ ” -Ladybug thought to herself, trying not to panic. The last thing she needed was for that to happen.     

“ _That’s a giant Madame Romani!_ ” -Flamingo thought to herself. –“ _This is bad, this is really bad!_ ” -she thought to herself, reacting the same way Ladybug did.

And while the Miraculous Team tried their best not to start panicking, Ra and his men wondered what was going on. The first thing he thought to himself, was that another goddess had decided to grace them with her presence. He did his best to try and identify her, but he was unable to. She did not look like any goddess he knew. Remaining silent, he waited for her to speak and identify herself.

“What do you think you’re doing, you demon?!” -the giant Madame Romani bellowed at the giant Maat. –“Do you think you can pretend to be me and get away with it?!” -she kept talking to Rena’s Maat.

Still with her eyes closed, Rena Rouge understood that she was in trouble, the moment she heard Madame Romani’s voice. Focusing, she ordered her illusion to turn around, so she could see what was going on, and to her surprise, she saw Romani looking at her. It took her a second to realize that that was not the real Romani, but a giant size illusion of herself. Knowing that having two Maats on the scene was bad, the fox heroine quickly commanded her Maat to attack Romani’s illusion, attempting to destroy her. Unfortunately, she acted too late. When she gave Maat the order, Romani had already ordered her illusion to attack it. Shooting lightning bolts from the crystal ball she was holding, the gypsy’s illusion obliterated Rena’s illusion, making her disappear. When this happened, the shock was so great that Rena Rouge fainted.  

The heroes seeing this, knew that something bad had happened to their friend. But before they could act, the giant Madame Romani talked once more, this time to order Ra to destroy them. 

“Ra, these demons have dared to try to impersonate me, Maat, so they could deter you away from the mission we gods have selected you for! They are your enemies, as well as enemies of everyone else! As the goddess of justice, I command you to destroy them! Rid the world from these accursed fiends!” -Madame Romani’s illusion ordered him, just before disappearing.

Hearing those words, Ra reacted the way everyone knew he would react; he reacted badly. Nobody likes to feel like they were conned, or otherwise cheated, and the akumatized pharaoh was no different. Filled with anger, he turned to Ladybug and the remaining heroes, with his eyes showing that same anger that was flowing through his body.

“You fowl demons… when Montu and Sobek warned me that you were devilish creatures, I knew that you were the worst kind of creatures there could be. But I never thought that you would stoop so low, as to do what you did, you infidels!” -Ra told them. One could hear the rage in his voice.

“ _We’re so screwed…_ ” -Corbeau Noire thought to herself.

“Guess the jig is up, guys!” -Chat Noir exclaimed, knowing that whatever happened next, it would not be good. –“Defensive positions, people!”

* * *

Up on the roof, Madame Romani was quite pleased with herself. Not only she had managed to blow up the heroes’ attempt to convince Ra that they were not who her master had told him they were, but she also managed to knock out Rena Rouge. And now, she was going to enjoy herself, by killing her and taking the fox miraculous from her. As she approached the fox heroine unconscious body, she began to reminisce all the times that she was beaten by her; all the times that she failed because one of her illusions proved to be stronger or faster than hers. Romani did not like to admit it, especially because she did not believe a person could have an archenemy; to her, that was something that only happened in comic books, and that was really life. Still, even not believing in archenemies and such, she was going to enjoy finishing Rena Rouge, once and for all.  

Looking down at her, Madame Romani saw just how helpless she looked right then. Caressing her crystal ball, the gypsy witch was trying to decide how she was going to kill the fox heroine. The ideas and the methods to do so were many, and knowing that she would only have the opportunity to kill her once, made it even harder to decide it. But in the end, she decided that the best way to finish her was to slit her throat and let her drown in her own blood. Kneeling next to her, Madame Romani smirked, knowing that in a matter of seconds. Caressing her crystal ball once more, she made a dagger appear in front of her. Grabbing it, she gazed upon its blade and just how sharp she had made it.  

“It’s time for you to die, my little fox.” -Madame Romani giggled wickedly, as she placed the dagger’s blade against Rena’s neck. –“Don’t worry, your friends will be next.” -she grinned evilly, slicing the young hero’s neck open.

Upon doing it, no blood came out of Rena’s neck. Puzzled by it, Madame Romani felt that something was wrong. But before she could determine what it was, she was hit on the back of the head, as Rena Rouge disappeared. Hitting the floor with her head, the gypsy woman looked up to see the fox heroine pointing her flute-staff at her. 

“That was a very low, even for a cockroach like you, you know that?” -Rena Rouge pointed it out. –“Trying to slit one’s throat when they’re unconscious… not only that’s low, but it’s also a sign of cowardice. I thought you were better than that, Romani!” -she shot at her.

“Who cares if it’s low or a sign of cowardice?!” -Madame Romani said as she quickly got up, looking Rena in the eyes. –“As long as the result is your death, I don’t care about it! And you are going to die, right here and right now, little fox. Mark my words!” -she warned the fox heroine, without taking her eyes off her for a second.

“You shouldn’t count your chickens before they hatch, Romani!” – Rena Rouge said, as she attacked her with her flute-staff.

Engaging in combat, Rena Rouge made sure that her adversary would not get the chance to use her powers against her. Ever since the last time she fought against Madame Romani, she understood that as long as she did not allow her to use her crystal ball, she would not have the power to attack her with one of her illusions. And to do that, she would have to engage her in hand-to-hand combat. She had perfected multiple moves, by practicing with her boyfriend, knowing that these would come in handy when the time to fight her came. And now, her hard work was paying off. During combat, she would usually throw a couple of remarks, but not then. She was going to let her flute-staff do all the talking for her.

Madame Romani, on the other hand, had always let her illusions do the fight for her. It was not that she did not know how to fight. She just felt more comfortable creating illusions to do her dirty work for her. And because of that, and unlike Rena Rouge, she had not been perfecting her fighting skills. Still, even without them, she was still able to put up a decent fight. Every time she saw an opening, she would conjure something to use against the fox heroine. The trouble was, the openings were incredibly short, and she was only able to conjure up a couple of daggers or even a sword, which she would then use to defend herself from Rena’s flute-staff. But what she lacked in fighting skills or weapons that she was able to conjure up, she would make up with the rage she was feeling inside her, using it to fuel her attacks.

“ _I won’t let this kid get the better of me!_ ” -Madame Romani thought to herself, as she blocked one of Rena’s attacks with a sword she had conjured up. –“ _I’m going to kill…w-what?!_ ” -she thought, when she felt a stinging pain, similar to the pain of a tooth being drilled without anaesthesia, inside her head. It was a pain she had experienced before. It was the pain of when Hawk Moth forced himself into her mind, via telepathy. Allowing him entrance into it, the pain disappeared as quickly as it appeared.  

“ _What are you doing?_ ” -Hawk Moth’s voice echoed inside Madame Romani’s head. –“ _I thought I’d given you specific orders!_ ” -his voice kept echoing inside Romani’s head, giving her a splitting headache, which made it hard for her to focus on the battle.

“ _But master, I thought that…_ ” -Madame Romani answered him, only to be interrupted.

“ _You don’t get to do the thinking! That is my function, not yours!_ ” -Hawk Moth told her. His cold voice revealed that he was beyond angry with her. –“ _When I order you to do one thing, you do it, and you don’t question it._ ” -he told her. –“ _Now, do what you’ve been ordered to do. Leave her and free those two, immediately._ ”

“ _But master, I can get her miraculous! I just need to beat her and…_ ”

“ _I said, leave her!_ ” -Hawk Moth ordered her. The coldness in his voice was enough to chill the blood in one’s veins. –“ _She’s not important, right now. What matter is that you free Reptile and Brutus, so they can rejoin the fight. Do that, or you will feel my wrath!_ ” -he said, as he abruptly broke the psychic link.

Knowing her master’s warning should not be taken lightly, or otherwise ignored, Madame Romani began to think of a way to end that fight. She needed to get out of there, while making sure that Rena Rouge would not follow her. But to do so, she would need a moment to create something that would allow her to do such. And unfortunately, Rena was not going to allow her to do it. So, in an almost desperate move, the gypsy witch made use of her crystal ball to conjure a cloud of thick black smoke, that spread like wild fire, enveloping her and Rena Rouge in a matter of seconds. Blinded by the smoke, the fox heroine tried her best to escape from it, which proved to be quite the task, since the smoke felt like it had a mind of its own, following her around. Finally, after about 10 seconds, she was able to escape it, by jumping into the air, as high as she could. Her jump could not be compared to those of Antelope, but it was nonetheless a remarkable jump, with her landing on top of a chimney. Knowing Romani was up to no good, Rena’s eyes searched the area, looking for her, or any sign that would reveal what she was up to.

“ _Where are you?! Come on, show yourself, you witch!_ ” -Rena Rouge thought to herself, as her eyes kept looking for the gypsy witch, who had seemingly disappeared.

But before she could find her, she heard a loud roar coming from inside the thick smoke. The roar sounded like a lion’s roar, and immediately the fox heroine knew that Madame Romani was going to throw some wild beast she had conjured up. She imagined that she had conjured a lion or a tiger, and this one was going to spring out of the smoke and attack her.

“So, you’re trying to turn this into some sort of cat and mouse game, huh? Well, it’s not going to work!” -Rena Rouge exclaimed, as she waited for Romani to take the next step. She figured it would be best if she waited for the villainess to attack first than to risk falling into a trap. –“Whatever kitty you got lurking inside that cloud of smoke, you can tell it to come out and play!” -she warned her.  

But what came out of the smoke was not a lion, nor a tiger. Instead, it was something entirely different. Stepping out of the smoke, a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human looked Rena Rouge in the eyes. It was a sphinx. For thousands of years, the sphinx had been associated with Egypt, thanks to the large Giza Sphinx, which was said to be the protector of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Revered as protectors, some Egyptians believed that the sphinx would protect anyone they deemed innocent from the forces of evil. And now, Rena Rouge had one staring at her, as if she was a juicy steak.

“ _A sphinx? Great… it’s not a lion or a tiger, but it has pointy teeth… At least it’s just one._ ” -Rena Rouge thought to herself.

She had just finished that thought, when more sphinxes came out of the cloud of smoke, looking at her the same way the first sphinx was. Staring at them, she counted at least fifteen of them, with more coming out of the cloud of smoke.  

“ _Why did I think that?! By now, I should have learned that saying or thinking things like that, it’s like you’re inviting troubles to come to you!_ ” -Rena Rouge thought to herself, while not taking her eyes off the sphinxes.   

“Go my pretties! Assist the pharaoh and destroy those kids, starting with this one!” -Madame Romani’s voice was heard, as the smoke dissipated, revealing her presence, surrounded by even more sphinxes. Smiling evilly at Rena Rouge, the gypsy witch was already imagining how the heroine’s body would look like, once the sphinxes had turned her into their chew toy. –“Make minced meat out of her…Go!” -she ordered them.  

Saying those words, the sphinxes charged against Rena Rouge, who used her flute staff to keep them at bay. Though some of them focused their attack on the fox heroine, most of the sphinxes just passed by her, making their way to where the fight against Ra was taking place. She knew that those sphinxes were going to make things even more difficult for the rest for the team and she had to warn them. But before she could do it, she would have to either take down those that were attacking her, or flee from them. And right then, fighting four sphinxes was too much for her. Her illusionary Maat had weakened her, and combined with the little fray she had with Madame Romani, she was feeling like she was running on fumes.  

“I can’t take these things by myself… I’m running out of strength…” -Rena Rouge said, as she swung her flute-staff, whacking one of the sphinxes on the head. –“ _I’ve got to get out of here and warn the others, that things are about to get even uglier than before!”_ -she thought.

* * *

While the sphinxes she had conjured attacked Rena Rouge, Madame Romani made her escape, disappearing in another cloud of smoke, only to reappear down on the ground. Fulfilling her master’s orders, she went to release her two fellow lieutenants. But as she made her way towards the places where they were, she found herself thinking once more that releasing them was just a waste of time. She believed that her master was wrong and that she should have been allowed to finish Rena Rouge, once and for all. Obviously, she would never tell Hawk Moth such a thing, afraid of being punished. But that did not stop her from thinking it. Approaching the place where Dragonfly, Arachnid and Antelope had left Reptile, she saw him dangling with his head upside down, trying his best to break free. Looking at him, Romani could not help but to smirk maliciously.     

“About time you got here…” -Reptile complained, as he saw Madame Romani approaching him.

“Oh, shut up, you, worthless lizard!” -Madame Romani told him, as she looked at him. –“Don’t think that I’m here to set you free of my own free will. I’m only here, because our master thinks that you and that other idiot are needed back on the battlefield.” -she stated, as she conjured a sword. –“If it was up to me, I would leave you here to rot and be captured by the police or the military.”

“Good thing you’re not the one who gives the orders. Now get me out of here! I want to go and bit the heads of those kids!” -Reptile ordered her.

Brandishing the sword, she had conjured with her powers, with one swift move, Madame Romani released Reptile, who fell hard on the ground. Seeing that, her already evil smirk, became even broader. She did not like Reptile, and he knew it. She saw herself as superior to him in every sense of the word. To her, he was nothing more than Hawk Moth’s rabid dog, whom occasionally brought his master something he would deem useful.

As he got up, she did not even make an attempt to hide the pleasure she was feeling, after seeing him fall on the ground like that. And that just made the lizard man feel even angrier and more furious than before. Just like it happened with Madame Romani, Reptile was not fond of her. In fact, he despised her most of the times, because she saw herself as someone who would always be better than him, but also because she did not like the way she acted. Unlike Brutus, with whom he seemed to get along rather well, Reptile felt that he would never be able to work with Madame Romani, at least, not the way he had been working with Brutus.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” -Reptile asked her, clearly irritated.

“If you mean seeing you fall to the ground like that, yes I am enjoying it.” -Madame Romani admitted. –“After all this time, and you still let those kids make a monkey out of you.” -she pointed out.

“At least, I don’t stay behind to watch the party from afar.” -Reptile snapped at her. Though Brutus did not mind she was not part of the plan he and Reptile had come up with, the lizard man felt that her absence was a sign that she was not fully committed in doing what she had been chosen to do. –“You will see. When Ra destroys those kids and crushes their miraculouses, our master will reward me and Brutus for a job well done, while you on the other hand…”

“Unlike you, I don’t need any kind of recognition to know that I did what was expected of me.” -Madame Romani shot at him. –“And before you start saying anything regarding my loyalty towards our master, let me point out that my loyalty will not be questioned! I live to serve our master, and the only reason why I didn’t tag along on this plan of yours, is because I believe it will fail.”

“Fail?! There’s nothing in it that…”

Reptile’s sentence was cut short, when both he and Madame Romani felt a stinging pain coursing through their heads. It took them less than a second to figure that their master was forcefully trying to contact them. Allowing Hawk Moth into their minds, they listened to what he had to tell them.

“ _Enough! You’re both wasting time squabbling, and I will not have that! Not when there’s work to be done!_ ” -Hawk Moth’s voice echoed in both their heads. –“ _Reptile, you get back on the battlefield and help Ra achieve his goal. As for you, help Brutus. There’s no time to waste!_ ” -he said, as he broke the psychic link with them.

“Y-You heard him. Go and kill them. That’s what you wanted to do, wasn’t it?!” -Madame Romani shot at the lizard man.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” –Reptile practically spat at her. –“Just hurry up and free Brutus!” -he said, as he began running in the direction of the fight.       

* * *

Things were not easy for the Miraculous Team. Because he felt like he had been conned, Ra spared no expenses when attacking the young heroes, whom he now truly believed were demons bent on destroying him and everything else. And when the sphinxes created by Madame Romani appeared and joined Ra’s army, he saw that as a sign that the gods had sent him reinforcements to help him and his men, to win the battle. The heroes, seeing the mythological creatures knew that this had to be the work of Madame Romani, who still had to show up in the battlefield. With each new attack, he discovered new abilities and new ways to use them. Making use of these abilities, he attacked the heroes, as their fight dragged over the Place du Carrousel and into the Jardin des Tuileries, where the police had established a series of blockades, to keep people away. Once the fight reached that Arc du Carrousel. the police forces and the army, who had assembled a blockade between the arc’s columns, prepared to fire against Ra and his soldiers.

“Steady, men! Steady!” – one of the police lieutenants ordered his men, as they ready themselves. –“Remember, our job is to contain this, not engage them in battle. That’s a job for the army!” -he said, as he saw some soldiers also drawing their weapons.   

It was not the first time the army was called upon to intervene during an Akuma attack, and it would certainly not be the last. As time went by, Hawk Moth’s akumas became stronger, faster and harder to handle. The only ones who could fully handle them were the Miraculous Team. But that did not stop the police, nor the army from trying to deal with them, while protecting the people of Paris. Unfortunately, because their weapons were not powerful enough to hurt, it meant that they were easy prey for the akumas and their armies. That meant that the heroes would be forced to stop attacking the enemy, to protect them.

“I suggest that you leave this to the professionals, officer.” -Carapace said, as he placed an energy shield around him and a few other police officers. –“Thanks for the assist, nonetheless.” -he waved at them, before charging against one of Ra’s soldiers, who had tried to stabbed him with a spear.   

“Whoa, that was a really close one!” -Antelope said, as he used his bat to kick one of the sphinxes, who had tried to attack one of the soldiers. –“Hey, get back here, kitty! I’m not done with you!” -he said, as he readied himself to clobber the same sphinx.  

Up in the air, Queen Bee was busy dodging Ra’s fire balls, having made use of that power to try and roast the bee heroine.

“Missed me!” -Queen Bee yelled at Ra, as she dodged yet another fire ball. –“Missed me again! Come on, it’s almost as if you’re not trying anymore!” -she kept mocking him, while also taking a second to check what was going on down on the ground. Chaos was the word to describe it, and she knew it. –“ _This is bad… this chaos and confusion it’s too much… we need to do something._ ”  

But in the midst of all that chaos and confusion, the heroes had managed to find something about Ra, which they thought he had not found out. And what they found out, was that he was only able to use one ability at a time. Armed with that knowledge, they figured that if they could force him to use a particular power, then, they would be able to attack him and inflict a good amount of damage, without fearing any kind of retribution. The first one to attempt such a thing was Chat Noir. Seeing Ra making use of his fire powers, the feline hero made use of his athletic abilities, combined with his staff, to place himself behind him. Once in position, he jumped and tried to sink his claws onto Ra’s back, hoping to use his Cataclysm on him.

“ _Prepare to feel what a well-placed Cataclysm feels like, mummy-boy._ ” -Chat Noir thought to himself, as an impish smile appeared on his face.

Unfortunately, Ra sensed him and when Chat was about to attack him, he turned around and fired a fire ball onto his face. The feline hero managed to dodge it, only to be hit by a second fire ball. This one hit him on the chest and sent him flying a few good meters into the air. Trying to control his landing, he tried to land somewhere it was not too rough. But in the end, he ended up falling on top of Ladybug, who, a few seconds prior, had managed to defeat a soldier. Hitting her, the two fell hard on the grass, after a rather tawdry landing.  

“S-Sorry, milady.” -Chat Noir apologized to her.

“I-It’s okay.” -Ladybug said. as she noticed someone approaching them. Fearing it was another enemy, she readied herself to deal with him, when she recognized the person approaching… it was Rena Rouge.

“Guess I arrived a little too late to help you, guys.” -Rena Rouge said, as she helped Ladybug get back up. She saw Chat falling on top of Ladybug and still tried to run to catch him, but as she ran towards them, she realized she was too far away and would never get there on time. –“By the way, the sphinxes, they are…”

“They’re Madame Romani’s work… we kind of figured it out, when one of them turned into a puff of smoke.” -Ladybug declared. –“And, we also kind of figured that she would try something like that, after she destroyed your illusion.” -she said. –“That was a nice move on your part.”

“She’s right. It was a bold move. Ra really believed that he was talking to the goddess Maat.” -Chat Noir agreed, as he rubbed his chest. The fire ball did not burn him, but he was still feeling its impact. Deep down, he was hoping that that would not leave a bruise, because on the following day he was going to have a photoshoot, and it would be troublesome, if during wardrobe changes, one of the assistants would see it, and ask questions about it.   

“I just wish that witch had not screwed it up, with that trick of hers.” – Rena sighed. She had put everything she had on that plan of hers, and Madame Romani had ruined it.

“Never mind it. It happens to the best.” -Chat Noir tried to cheer her up. –“By the way, where is she?” -he asked her. Other than the giant version of herself, he had not seen any sign of Madame Romani, since the beginning of the battle against Ra.

“No idea. After she conjured up those beasties, she disappeared.” -Rena declared. –“Don’t know where she went or why she disappeared.” -she admitted, wondering why she did it. Romani was many things, but she was not someone who would turn her back on a fight, especially one against her.   

“Well, whatever her reason to disappear was, I don’t see her around.” -Ladybug said. –“We better get back there and finish this.” -she said. The scarlet heroine was not going to say it, but just like everyone else, exhaustion was beginning to take its toll on her. If they did not defeat Ra in the next fifteen minutes, she feared the worst. –“And by the way, Chat. Try not to fall on top of me, again, okay?”      

“Can’t promise anything, milady. But I’ll try my best.” -Chat Noir winked at her, who smirked playfully at him.


	22. The Shadow Protocol

While Hell broke loose outside, inside the Louvre’s curating offices, Miss Bustier, Mr. Kubdel, Jalil and Adrien’s aunt, Elodie Bouchard were trying their best to find a way out of the place where they, without knowing, had been trapped by Marinette and the rest of the class, for their own safety. The wall of debris that was in front of them was massive, and looking at it, one would just say that it was impossible to get out of there. It would take months, if not even years just to dig a way out through that rubble, without risking collapsing it further. But after checking for any other ways out of the place, and having found none, they decided to take try their luck. Mr. Kubdel and his son began looking for a spot where they felt was safe to start digging a tunnel out of there. When they felt they had found what they were looking for, they immediately began to work, picking the smaller stones, hoping this would make it easier for the big stones to either slide out of the way. Every time they felt that removing one of the rocks would cause their efforts to go to waste, they would take their time to see if they should proceed, or if they should stop. Little by little, they began excavating the tunnel they thought would get them out of there. They wanted to exit that place and go look for Alix and the rest of her class, who told them they were going to look for help. Elodie and Miss Bustier volunteered to help them, but Mr. Kubdel felt that work should be done by men, and also because he feared that if a new collapse happened, he would not want the two of them to get hurt.  

“Don’t think I believe that you ladies can’t handle hard work, because I believe you can handle it.” -Mr. Kubdel declared to both women. –“I just think that this might be too dangerous and I think it’s best if it’s just me and Jalil doing it.” -he explained.

“Very well. If you think it’s best, I won’t oppose that decision.” -Elodie said. –“But if you do need help, I don’t mind lending a hand.”

“The same goes for me.” -Miss Bustier declared. She was not a stranger to physical work.

“I appreciate the offer, but I think we have got this, don’t we, Jalil?” -Mr. Kubdel asked his son, who nodded with his head. –“Well, let’s get back to work. Maybe we should look for something we can use as a support beam.” -he suggested to Jalil, while looking around. –“I think that piece of wood over there could be useful.”

“I’ll go get it.” -Jalil said, as he went to fetch the piece of wood is father was pointing to.

As Jalil and his father worked on trying to creating a tunnel for them to get out of there, Elodie found herself thinking if her nephew was alright, or not. Adrien was the closest thing she had to her departed sister, and she did not even want to think about losing him, just like she had lost his mother. She had just come back into his life, and he into hers, and Elodie was hoping that they would find a way to keep in touch, even if his father did forbid Adrien from ever seeing her again. The whole idea of Adrien getting hurt or worst, and not having the chance to do anything to help him, made her shudder.

“I hope Adrien is alright.” -Elodie thought to herself.

“Don’t worry yourself. I’m sure Adrien is fine.” -Miss Bustier told her, as she sat next to her.  

“How did you…”

“Teacher’s instinct, I guess.” -Miss Bustier answered her. –“Besides, it’s only normal that you would be thinking about Adrien’s safety.” -she said. –“I’m also a little bit worried about him and about the rest of my class.”

“You’ll forgive my honesty, and perhaps my bluntness, but you don’t look like it.” -Elodie told her. Looking at her, Miss Bustier looked calmed and relaxed. The exact opposite of what one should look like in a situation like that. –“You seem… a little too relaxed.”

“I get that a lot.” -Miss Bustier smiled. –“The truth is, I have learned to accept that things happen for a reason, and that there’s no point in worrying about things that you can’t control.” -she admitted. –“People are always saying that they’re in control of certain situations and that they can handle anything that they throw at them, but the truth is, most of the time we can’t be sure of that. We can’t control what’s going to happen in future. We can only control what’s going to happen in the next couple of seconds.”  

As she kept talking, Elodie listened to her every word, just like it happened with her students, whenever she talked.

“As for looking relaxed, that’s just on the outside. Because on the inside, I’m a little nervous and worried about my students, all of them. But I also know that stressing about it, won’t change the fact that there’s nothing I can do, right now.” -Miss Bustier explained. –“Besides, I do have a feeling, deep inside me that they’re alright.”

“How do you know that feeling is right?” -Elodie asked her.  

“I don’t know. That’s why it’s just a feeling, but I usually tend to be right about these feelings of mine.” -Miss Bustier told Elodie. –“Plus, children, and especially teenagers tend to surprise you, in the best possible way, at least, from my experience. I keep telling all my students that each one of them is special in its own way, and that they all are so much more than they sometimes think they are. And the truth is, I believe in it all. I do. I know I haven’t been a teacher for as long as some of my other colleagues, but ever since I began teaching, I’ve seen so much and learned so much, and it’s mostly due to your nephew’s class. They are the best students a teacher like me could have asked for. I’ve seen them evolving from a simple class to something as close as a family. Even those you thought would never be able to surprise you, managed to surprise you in the most incredible way.” -she admitted, referring to Chloe, who had completely changed over the last couple of months into the polar opposite of the spoiled girl she was, surprising her. –“And that’s why I know that we shouldn’t be worried about them not being alright. As the family they have become, they will take care of each other. I just know it.”

Miss Bustier had a way with words. Everyone who knew her, knew that. And Elodie Bouchard had just found out about it. As she was growing up, there were people that had suggested Caline Bustier to take on a career in politics, because of that particular talent of hers, which many believed was something that all politicians should have. But she never wanted to be anything other than a teacher, which she saw as the most beautiful and most rewarding job in the world. To have the chance to shape the minds of the next generations, was a challenge she was happy to take. And that class of hers had proven her that she had chosen the right job.  

“I can see now why Adrien loves your classes, so much. You have a way with words, not to mention an incredible amount of confidence in your students.” -Elodie smiled at her.

“I would be a pretty lousy teacher if I didn’t.” -Miss Bustier admitted. –“Like I said… they have become like a family, and it all happened almost from night to day. It was almost like magic. One day, they were just hanging together all the time, without any kind of fights or whatever you would expect teenagers to do.” -she said. –“I think this last Summer, produced some kind of change in them all. I don’t know how or why, but it did. When they came back from that summer camp, they came back changed. And I’m glad it did, because even those who did not need to change, changed to a slightly improved version of themselves.”

“I can understand that.” -Elodie commented. –“I remember one summer, where my sister and I, we both found out our passion for archaeology. It was a trip to Lascaux, where we were fascinated with the pre-historic paintings that had been drawn on the cave’s walls. Seeing that, it changed the way he saw the world, and inspired us to follow a passion. Though, she would later become an actress, she always made time to accompany me.” -she said. –“So, I understand what you mean, when you say that this last summer changed them somehow.”

“Change is the only true constant in this world, they say.” -Miss Bustier said.    

The conversation the two women were having was suddenly interrupted, when they heard Jalil grunting, followed by a thud. He had just managed to remove a sizable boulder, when he warped his right foot, falling on the ground. Turning around, they saw him fallen, with his hands around his ankle.  

“Are you alright?!” -Miss Bustier asked him.

“I-I’m alright. I j-just slipped.” –Jalil said, as he kept massaging his ankle. The pain was quite great, and as he massaged it with both hands, he wished the pain to disappear as quickly as possible. 

“Are you sure you didn’t break it or sprained it? Can you move it?” -Mr. Kubdel asked his son.

“N-No, dad… it’s not broken, I can still move it.” -Jalil answered, as he continued to massage the feet, hoping to ease the pain.

Mr. Kubdel took a look at his son’s ankle, and he immediately saw that Jalil was not going to be able to walk without the use of crutches for a couple of weeks. His ankle was incredibly red and swollen. There was no doubt about it, it was sprained.

“You’re right, it’s not broken. But it’s sprained.” -Mr. Kubdel told Jalil. –“I guess it’s not just your sister who’s prone to spraining ankles.” -he joked. He knew it was not the time for it, but given their current situation, a little humour always helped easing things. –“I’m sorry to say this, but you’re in no condition to go on working. The best you can do is to just lie down and not move your foot.”

“I guess we’ll have to lend you a hand, after all.” -Elodie said.   

* * *

The battle against Ra was forcing the Miraculous heroes to give everything they had to deal with him and his army. When they reached the Arc du Carrousel, they felt they had managed to contain the akumatized pharaoh and his army, with the help from the police and the army. Unfortunately, experimenting and discovering more of his powers, Ra appealed to the power of Gebb, he made the earth tremble, destroying everything in its path. Trees, bushes, water fountains, garden benches, all of that was reduced to rubble ot blown away. In a matter of minutes, the entire Jardin des Tuileries was turned into the closest thing to an ancient battle ground, where the heroes battled against him and his army, while also trying their best to keep them from leaving it. To make matters worse, the heroes were beginning to feel the first signs of exhaustion, Reptile and Brutus returned to the battlefield and Ra found he also possessed powers that belonged to Set, the god of chaos, evil and storms. Using them, he made lightning and thunder strike his enemies.   

To say things were chaotic was an understatement. Ladybug ordered the whole team to split up into different groups. Chat Noir, Rena Rouge, Queen Bee and herself were to deal with Ra himself, while Carapace and Louve Grise created barriers around the garden, to prevent anyone from getting in or out of it. As for the rest of the team was dealing with the akumatized soldiers, with the exception of Antelope and Grizzly Bear, who were forced to deal with Reptile and Brutus respectively, who went looking for them, so they could finish their fights. The two of them decided to combine efforts and were giving Antelope and Grizzly Bear a run for their money. Reptile’s speed and Brutus’ fighting mastery, when combined, proved to be a powerful combo. And both Antelope and Grizzly Bear were the first ones to feel it.

“ _Whoa! Another inch to the left and that guy would have made turned me into a pin-cushion!_ ” -Antelope thought to himself, as he dodged Brutus’ attack, only to be hit on the back by Reptile.

“You fight well, but I see that you’re beginning to weaken.” -Brutus told Antelope. He had thrown Grizzly Bear a few meters into the air, when he charged against him, before turning his attention to the antelope hero, who was momentarily lying on the ground. –“You should save your strength, by making less movements. That way, you won’t waste your energy on pintless things, and can focus it on your attacks.” -he said, as Antelope got back up.  

“Enough with the compliments, Brutus! Let’s just gut this little piggy here and get his miraculous!” -Reptile said, as he smacked his lips, just before pulling out his blade, with which he intended to kill Antelope.

“Unlike you, I feel that it’s my duty to advise our opponents on what they are doing wrong.” -Brutus declared. –“A warrior must fight with all his might, and must always be ready to help out another warrior, even if he’s on the opposite side. Without that line of thinking, we’re nothing but animals.” -he stated.

“What about that whole stuff about “A warrior must kill his opponent, so he can bathe in its blood, to achieve true glory?” Don’t tell me that all that was just another speech filled with pretty, but incredibly empty words?!”-Reptile asked him, not understanding why Brutus felt like giving pointers to an enemy.

“No. What you just said is true, but that doesn’t mean that what I said before isn’t true either.” -Brutus declared. –“The art of war and fighting is more than just to crack skulls and eviscerate enemies. It’s about mutual respect when in battle.” -he said.  

“No offense, General de Gaulle, but I think I prefer when you guys are just trying to crack my skull open or eviscerating me. It saves a lot of time on pointless chit-chat.” -Antelope declared, as he charged against Brutus, performing a rotating kick, only to be stopped by him, who grabbed him by the leg and then threw him like a ragdoll.

“Pointless move… like I said, you need to stop wasting your energy on moves that will not allow you to inflict damage on your opponent.” -Brutus declared to Antelope, who bumped his head on the ground upon landing, as he turned to Reptile. –“Go ahead, finish him. While you do it, I will take care of Grizzly Bear. Master Hawk Moth wants them eliminated.” -he said.

“Time to gut you like a piñata…” -Reptile smirked evilly as he approached Antelope’s body. He was about to stab him in the abdomen, when he felt the earth shaking violently beneath him. A second later, he was struck by lightning, as was Brutus.  

“Not so fast, lizard breath!” -Grizzly Bear exclaimed. That attack had been his work. –“Neither one of you is going to kill us today, or take our miraculouses.” -he told them. –“Are you okay?”  

“P-Peachy… just give me a second.” -Antelope answered Grizzly, as he grabbed his bat and pulled himself up. –“Thanks for the assist!” -he said, as he ran towards him, still feeling a little woozy from hitting his head on the ground. 

“Don’t mention it.” -Grizzly Bear said, as he watched Brutus and Reptile getting back up. Looking at Reptile, he could see anger in his eyes.

“Y-You… I’ll kill you for that one!” -Reptile snarled like a wild animal.

“Once more, I forget that you are more resilient and harder to handle than some of your companions.” -Brutus said, as he got up. –“A mistake I must not make again.” -Brutus said, as he dropped the sword he was carrying and pulled a war hammer from his chest. –“The two of you, come at me! I will take your miraculouses to my master, even if I have to beat you both at the same time.”

“You heard him.” -Antelope smiled to Grizzly Bear, who returned the smile. –“If he wants to take us both, then, who are we to deny him that?” -he smirked.

“Bring it on, mister!” -Grizzly Bear exclaimed, as he clashed his fists.

* * *

Ladybug had been tossed to one of the corners of the garden, by one of Ra’s attacks. Making her way back, she was attacked by one of the sphinxes Madame Romani had created. She managed to take it on, but due to the exhaustion, it took most of her strength, just to defeat it. Once this one disappeared in a puff of smoke, the scarlet heroine dropped to the ground. Rena Rouge, who was the closest to her, quickly went to check if she was alright. Kneeling by her side, she quickly used her powers to summon a huge boulder in front of them to protect them from any kind of attack Ra could throw at them, while hoping that Chat Noir and Queen Bee could handle him for a couple of minutes alone. Checking her, she saw that she was conscious. Her face had a couple of light bruises and cuts, but nothing serious. It was her right arm that worried her. The sphinx had attacked her with its claws and though it had not cut or ripped her suit’s fabric, the fox heroine was sure that that attack was going to leave a nasty bruise.  

“Marinette, are you okay?” -Rena Rouge asked her, calling Ladybug by her real name.

“I-I’m fine…” -Ladybug lied. She was feeling an intense pain inside her right arm. Moving it slightly, she knew that the sphinx had not broken it. Still, the pain was quite big. She tried to play it cool. She did not want to worry her best-friend to worry. –“I j-just need a second so I can get back up.”

“Don’t move.” -Rena Rouge ordered her. –“You’re in no shape to fight.”

“B-But I’ve got to…” -Ladybug tried to get up, only to be forced by Rena Rouge to stay down. –“A-Alya…”

“You’re not doing anything.” -Rena Rouge ordered her friend. –“Nino’s got to take a look at that arm of yours… I just wished I knew where he was, right now.” -she declared.

\----------------------------------

They had just taken down a small group of soldiers, when one of Flamingo’s doubles saw Ladybug on the ground, and Rena Rouge seemingly tending her. Communicating with the real Flamingo, the pink heroine signalled her partner to follow her. She feared that something was wrong with the scarlet heroine. Making their way to where Ladybug and Rena Rouge were, the girls were forced to take down a sphinx that jumped out of nowhere. Though they were beginning to feel exhausted, the combined efforts of the two of them, gave the illusion that neither one, nor the other were exhausted.   

“Duck!” -Flamingo told Corbeau Noire, who did as she asked her. With her out of the way, Flamingo swung her cane and hit the sphinx right in the face, making it scream in agony. –“Okay, it’s your turn now!” -she said.

“With pleasure!” -Corbeau Noire exclaimed, as she used her hand-mirror to take control of the sphinx’s shadow and use it to attack it. After a couple of hits from its own shadow, the sphinx disappeared.  

Once the sphinx was dealt with, the two heroines sprinted towards Ladybug and Rena Rouge.

“How is she?” -Flamingo asked Rena Rouge, worried.

“Is she alright?” -Corbeau Noire asked, as she looked at Ladybug.

“She’s fine… but she hurt her right arm.” -Rena Rouge answered them. She did not say it, but she was happy to see them both.

“I t-told you, I’m f-fine, Alya… ouch!” -Ladybug exclaimed, gritting her teeth in pain, after attempting to move her right arm. –“D-Dang it…” -she cursed.

“You really are stubborn, girl. I already told you, you’re not in condition to go back into battle.” -Rena Rouge insisted, forcing her to stay still. –“The only way you can get back into battle, is if Nino can heal your arm.”

For a couple of seconds, no one said a word. Ladybug wanted to try and convince her best-friend to let her go back into battle, but she knew just how stubborn she was. Once a thought had settled inside her mind, no one was able to convince of her of the opposite. Flamingo and Corbeau Noire also felt like saying something, but did not know what. And as for Rena Rouge, inside her mind, she was trying to decide on what she should do. She did not want to leave her best-friend alone there, especially with her arm like that. But if she did not go, she would not be able to fight. The only one who could help her out was not there. She had to go and look for Carapace, even if that meant leaving her. Luckily, she was not going to leave her alone. If something bad happened, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire would protect her.   

“Stay with her, girls. I’m going back there, to see if I can find Nino.” -Rena Rouge told Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, as she got up –“Whatever happens, don’t let her get back up.” -she ordered them.

“Okay, you can count on us.” -Corbeau Noire said.

“Be careful, Alya.” -Ladybug told her.

“Thanks.” -Rena Rouge smiled at her. –“Remember, don’t move. I’ll be back shortly.” -she said, as she jumped over the boulder.

Though she promised to not take to long to come back, once she saw herself back in the battle, she knew that that was one promise she was not going to be able to uphold. The last of the sphinxes were tagging along with a series of soldiers that had managed to make their way to where Ra was. Chat Noir and Queen Bee were both fighting with him, when two others showed up to help them out. Unfortunately, neither one, nor the other was Carapace. Arachnid and Panda Rouge looked exhausted; especially Panda Rouge, who was forced to use his special ability more than he wanted to, so as to deal with the enemies.

Knowing that fighting both the soldiers and the sphinxes would slow her down on her search for her boyfriend, Rena Rouge decided to improvise a way to get to where the others were, to ask them if any of them had seen him. Using her flying abilities, she jumped over the enemies and dashed towards where the battle against Ra was going on, while also being careful not to be hit by any projectiles the soldiers began to throw at her, once they spotted her. Dodging a spear, she grabbed Arachnid, who had just been thrown into the air by Ra.

“Need a little help?!” -Rena Rouge asked him.

“Thanks… how did you know I was in need of a little assistance?” -Arachnid asked her. Right then, the spider hero was feeling a little useless. Without any tall buildings or ceilings that he could stick himself to, which was where he felt more at ease, he believed that

“Just a guess.” -Rena Rouge said, as she landed on the ground. –“There, a nice landing.”  

“You know what would be nice? A plan!!!” -Chat Noir exclaimed, as he avoided being turned into fried cat, by an inch. –“I don’t want end up being known as French Fried Chat Noir, you know?!” -he told the fox heroine.

“I’m with him!” -Queen Bee said, as she conjured another tornado to attack Ra. –“I’m… getting tired, you know? I’m starting to lose my ability to produce tornados that are bigger than a car…” -she exclaimed, panting. The bee heroine was starting to reach the limit of her magical strength. Soon, she would only be able to count on her fighting moves to battle Ra. –“Can’t you just conjure up another giant illusion of another god, Alya?!”

“I’m afraid that would be a waste of our time and my energy. If it didn’t work the first time, then I think this is one of those situations, where second time is the charm!” -Rena Rouge exclaimed, as she jumped into the air, avoiding being turned into a crispy fox by one of the lightning bolts. –“Plus, if Madame Romani is still around, who’s to say she wouldn’t do the same thing?”

One could not argue with Rena’s logic. The fact was that only two of Hawk Moth’s lieutenants were fighting them, while the third one, which they have always considered to be the strongest and deadliest, was nowhere to be seen. They did not know if Hawk Moth had ordered her to retreat, or if she was just hiding, biding her time, until it was time for her to show up again. Still, wherever she was, none of them had time to think about it. Ra’s attacks were growing in both size and speed. It was becoming easier for him to switch between powers. Switching powers, he decided to make use of his fire powers, to attempt to grill the heroes. And as if that was not enough, the group of soldiers that Rena Rouge had passed by, were now heading towards them, obeying the orders of their pharaoh.   

“We’ve got trouble!!!” -Queen Bee exclaimed, as she saw the soldiers, along with a couple of sphinxes approaching them.  

“Just what we needed.” -Chat Noir said in a sarcastic tone. –“Guess, we’ll just have to deal with them, along with their boss.” -he said. –“Let’s split! Bee and Arachnid, you keep Ra busy. The rest, follow me, we’re going to put these guys out of commission!”

Following Chat’s orders, Queen Bee and Arachnid charged against Ra, while avoiding everything that he threw at them. At the same time, Chat Noir, Rena Rouge and Panda Rouge went up against the soldiers and the last remaining sphinxes, hoping to take them down, and rejoin their friends in the battle against Ra. These proved to be more than a match for them, because unlike the heroes, they did not get tired. As they fought, Panda Rouge noticed Ladybug’s absence, and wondered where she was, as he did not see any sign of her.  

“Hey, as anyone seen Ladybug?!” -Panda Rouge asked Rena Rouge, who was to his left.  

“She’s hurt. But don’t hurry, she just hurt her right arm.” -Rena Rouge answered him. –“Flamingo and Corbeau Noire are looking after her.” -she added. –“But I need to find Carapace, so he can heal her. Has any of you seen him?”

“The last time I saw him, he was with Louve Grise.” -Chat Noir told her. Hearing that Ladybug was hurt, he became worried. But he knew that if Rena had said that she was alright, then she should be fine. The fox heroine was not one to exaggerate or lie about those things. –“But do you really need him to take a look at her? Watch out!” -he exclaimed as he used his staff to kick a soldier that was trying to grab Rena Rouge from behind her.

“Thanks… and yes, he has to take a look at her. Her injury isn’t very serious, but she won’t be able to keep fighting without him healing her. Duck!” -Rena Rouge warned Chat Noir, who ducked.

“Thanks!” -Chat Noir thanked her, as he performed a rotating kick on one of the sphinxes. –“Still, you should go and find Carapace. The two of us can handle these guys.” -he said. He did not say it, but he was worried about Ladybug’s well-being. Still, there was no need to say it, because his tone revealed it.

“He’s right, you can go! We’ll handle these guys!” -Panda Rouge said as he somersaulted over two soldiers. 

“I’m not leaving you two to fight off these guys alone.” -Rena Rouge told them both. They were not going to admit it, especially because of their pride as fighters, but they were exhausted. –“Like I said, it’s nothing serious. She can wait a little longer.” -she said. –“ _And who knows, maybe Nino shows up, and that will save me the trouble of looking for him._ ”  

* * *

Rena Rouge was taking too long to come back, and more than once, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire were forced to restrain Ladybug, who wanted to go back into battle, claiming that if everyone else was fighting, then she should also be out there. On top of that, she continued to argue that her arm injury was not as bad as Rena Rouge had made it sound. Still, neither Flaming, nor Corbeau Noire

“I think I might have a solution to finish this guy, once and for all. But it’s going to take me a little bit to get ready.” -Corbeau Noire told Ladybug.

“Wait, you don’t mean…” -Flamingo said.

“Yes, I am. I’m going to use the Shadow Protocol.” -Corbeau Noire finished her sentence.

“You can’t do that! It’s too dangerous! You still haven’t perfected it yet!” -Flamingo exclaimed, fearing for her girlfriend’s well-being.

The Shadow Protocol was an attack that Corbeau Noire had been developing with the help of Flamingo and Master Fu. While trying out her control over multiple shadows and ordering them to do a simple task, the raven heroine found out that with a little bit more effort she could temporarily bind shadows to her own and then project it in the shape of a large raven to do her bidding. It was a formidable attack, and quite powerful as well. But there was a catch to it. If she used it for more than 30 seconds, it would start to drain her life force, not to mention that she would begin to lose control over it, making it unpredictable. Master Fu said that with time and training, perhaps that would not happen, but only time would tell. And aside from him and Flamingo, only Ladybug and Chat Noir knew about that attack. She had seen it in action once, and knew just how powerful it was, and how dangerous it was to use it for Corbeau Noire. When the scarlet heroine heard her saying she wanted to use it, she immediately felt that it was a bad idea.

“Rose’s right, Juleka. It’s too dangerous. Master Fu said that you still need to perfect it a little more, before trying in battle.” -Ladybug warned her.   

“And I’ll never be able to perfect it, if I don’t use it in battle.” -Corbeau Noire told her. –“Look, I know it’s dangerous and if I lose control of it, things can get really ugly.” -she admitted it. –“But I wouldn’t suggest this, if I wasn’t sure that I can control it. Plus, that guy is getting more powerful by the minute, and we’re all beginning to feel exhausted. If we can’t knock him out and destroy the Akuma butterfly that’s inside him now, we might not be able to do it.”

As hard as it was to hear that, Ladybug knew Corbeau Noire was right. Ra was getting more powerful by the minute, while they all were beginning to reach the limit of their strength.

“I hate to say it, but you’re right. That pharaoh and his army are placing us all against the ropes.” -Ladybug sighed.

“You’re not seriously thinking about letting her do this are you, Marinette?” -Flamingo asked Ladybug, fearing for the well-being of her girlfriend. The last thing she wanted was for her to get hurt, even if it meant defeating the akuma.  

“I like this idea as much as you do, Rose, but Juleka’s right. We won’t last much longer, if we keep fighting Ra and his army.” -Ladybug told her, as she then turned her attention to Corbeau Noire. –“How long do you need to get ready?”

“A couple of minutes. But I’m also going to need somewhere where I won’t be disturbed, and I’ll need Rose by my side… or better yet, I’m going to need her voice.” -Corbeau Noire said. While practicing that attack, she and Flamingo had found out that the pink heroine’s singing voice helped her to relax and to control her shadow. –“Plus, to ensure that the attack starts with a enough force to take on Ra, as well as each of the soldiers that we haven’t been able to defeat, I’m going to need to have a few extra shadows to absorb.” -she said, referring to the shadows cast by Flamingo’s doubles. If her shadow was able to absorb a good amount of surrounding shadows, before attacking the bad guys and absorb their own shadows to strengthen itself, it would save her both time and energy.

“Don’t worry. I’m a little tired but I can still create a few copies of myself.” -Flamingo smiled at her. –“You know I always have your back, Jules.” -she kept smiling at her.   

“And I have got yours, Rose.” -Corbeau Noire returned the smile.  

Looking at them, Ladybug could not help but to smile as well. There was something about the way the two of them interacted with each other that made their whole friendship look so adorable to everyone’s eyes. They were always there for one another.

“Okay, then if we’re going to do it… ouch… I’ve got to find a way to give you girls the time you need to get ready.” -Ladybug said, as she slowly got up, using her good arm, with Flamingo trying to stop her, but failing to do so.  

“Where are you going?” -Corbeau Noire asked her.

“To get you girls the time you need to do this.” –Ladybug answered her. –“I’m going to create a distraction that will keep every last enemy away from you two. But I’m going to need Alya’s help to do it… hers, and everyone else.” -she smirked, trying to ignore the pain on her right arm.


	23. Last Resort

A leader’s job is never done, especially when they come up with any sort of plan that will either benefit the people that depend on it, or otherwise doom them. And in Ladybug’s case, it was no different. Corbeau Noire had volunteered to use an attack, which she believed, would end that battle for good. But there were two catches to all that. First, the scarlet heroine was battling five hundred, due to her injured arm. And second, to give Corbeau Noire, as well as Flamingo, whom she asked to stay by her side, enough time to prepare, she was going to have to put into march a plan that she had conceived a few seconds before. Leaving Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, who too flew away from there, she began looking for Rena Rouge, whom she spotted at the distance, fighting Ra. She did her best to run through what was once a beautiful garden, towards where the battle between part of her team and Ra was happening. But after just a couple of meters, she found that the pain in her arm would not allow her to run like she needed to; at least, not without hurting her arm. Never in her life did she feel that 300 meters felt like 300 kilometres, all because of the pain in her arm. Suddenly, she felt a shockwave, which knocked her down. As she picked herself up, she thought that whatever that shockwave had been, it could have not been good.     

“ _Whatever that was, I’m sure it was something bad. And speaking of bad, I’m in real trouble thanks to this arm… if I walk, or even run, this pain will only get worst._ _If only I could signal someone to give me a lift._ ” -Ladybug thought to herself. –“ _Maybe I should have asked Rose or Juleka to give me a lift… way to go, Marinette. You need to start thinking before acting._ ” -she cursed her recklessness. Putting on a tough face, so people would not worry about her was okay, but now she was paying the price. –“ _I need to find a way to get to Alya and… wait, that’s Alix. Maybe I can signal her! But how?_ ”

Dragonfly was up above her. If she could signal her, she would be more than happy to give her a lift. But she would have to be quick, because Dragonfly could dash out of there at any moment. It was getting hard for Ladybug to think straight, because every time she moved her left arm, the pain receptors in her brain would light up like a Christmas tree. Still, trying to ignore the pain, she used her special sixth sense to see what she could use around her. Quickly, her eyes highlighted three specific objects; her yo-yo, a small piece of concrete that was on the floor and what was left of a tree that miraculously had not been ripped from the ground. It took her a second to figure out what she would do with those three things, but when it did, she knew just what she had to do to get Dragonfly’s attention.   

“Bingo!” -Ladybug smiled. –“Now, all I have to do is try to assemble it as fast as I can.” -she said.   

With the objects that had been highlighted, Ladybug figured out that the only thing she would be able to do with them, was a slingshot. Picking the piece of concrete from the ground, she made her way to the tree. Ignoring the pain, she was in, she wrapped her yo-yo’s string several around two branches. This proved to be a little tricky, because she was only using her right hand to do it. Yo-yo’s strings aren’t, by rule, elastic. But hers, given it was magical, was slightly elastic, and she was hoping it would elastic enough to be used like a rubber band. Once finished, she loaded her makeshift slingshot with the piece of concrete and began to pull. Knowing she was going to need both arms to do that, she forced herself to it, even knowing the pain she was going to feel. With every step she back she took, Ladybug felt like her left arm was being pulled apart. Still, she pressed on, knowing that she had to try and get Dragonfly’s attention. Holding her breath, she forced herself to do it, and it was not until she felt she had pulled the string enough, that she stopped. Letting out a sigh, she began to aim it towards Dragonfly, who was still where she had seen it.         

“I hope this works.” -Ladybug thought to herself as she aimed it at Dragonfly, hoping to hit her with that piece of concrete. –“ _Please, don’t move, Alix. Whatever you do, don’t move in the next couple of second._ ” -she silently begged her friend.    

Once she felt it was okay to release it, she did so. Letting go, she saw the small projectile fly up into the air, as she fell on her back. Smiling, she hoped her attempt to signal Dragonfly would work; otherwise, she would have to walk her way to where Alya and the others were, and right then, she felt like she had used up all of her remaining strength to do it. As for the piece of concrete, if flew upward at a tremendous speed, going up and up, until it finally reached its designated destination, Dragonfly’s left shoulder. Upon hitting her, the dragonfly heroine became startled, not knowing what had hit her.

“Ouch! What the… who did that?!!” -Dragonfly yelled, still a bit startled, as she looked for the person or thing that had hit her on the back of the head. Looking around her, she saw nothing nor nobody, and wondered if whoever or whatever hit her was invisible or not. –“You better not hide from me, buster! Because if I catch you, you’ll be…” -she exclaimed, threatening her assailant, when she looked down and saw Ladybug lying on the ground. –“Marinette!”

Flying downwards, she asked herself why was her friend lying on the ground like that, while fearing the worst. The last she had seen of her, she was fighting Ra, so she wondered what she was doing there, alone. Landing next to Ladybug, she saw that she had her eyes closed, and her first instinct was to see if she was alright, by calling her real name.  

“Marinette! Marinette, can you hear me?! What happened to you?!” -Dragonfly asked her, nervously hoping for an answer.

“I-I’m o-okay…” -Ladybug told her, as she slowly opened her eyes. She was so exhausted that she had closed her eyes momentarily, and had not opened them yet, when Dragonfly landed by her side. –“It’s just… m-my left arm isn’t really good, right now.” -she said. –“A sphinx attacked me.”

“A sphinx attacked you?!” -Dragonfly asked her.

“Y-Yeah… but it’s no big deal. My arm isn’t broken, it’s just really hurt. Alya told me that I needed to stay still, while she was go looking for Nino, so he can heal me.” -Ladybug told her, trying to masquerade the fact that she was in incredible pain, right then. –“But you know how she likes to exaggerate… I’m f-fine. It’s really no big deal.” -she said with a slightly nervous smile.

“No big deal? Honestly, are you trying to fool me?” -Dragonfly asked her in a sarcastic tone, while raising an eyebrow at her. –“Alya is many things, Marinette, but she’s not someone who tends to exaggerate about those things.” -she told her, while still giving her the stink-eye. She had a knack for catching people lying, thanks to all the time she spent with Kim and his shenanigans.  

“O-Okay, maybe you’re right… but still, I’m okay, really.” -Ladybug told her.

“If Alya told you to stay down, while she went to find Nino, you should have listened to her and stayed still.” -Dragonfly pointed out.

“I know, but I don’t have time… ouch, my arm…” -Ladybug said, as she got up, hurting her arm in the process. Gently, she rubbed the sore arm, hoping to ease the pain, even if it was just a little bit. –“I-I need to get to Alya. If I don’t, the whole plan will go down the drain.”

“Plan? What plan?” -Dragonfly asked her.       

“Get me to where she is, and I’ll tell you everything on the way.” -Ladybug begged her. –“Come on, Alix, we d-don’t have m-much time!” -she insisted, while trying to ignore the pain.   

“Okay, if you say so. But whatever that plan is, it better be good. I don’t know about the others, but I’m running out of strength.” -Dragonfly told her, as she helped her up, and then placing her right arm around her neck.  

“You ain’t the only one.” -Ladybug declared. –“But if this w-works out, Ra will be o-out of commission, and back inside his s-sarcophagus, in a matter of minutes.” -she said with confidence. –“Now, h-hurry up and f-fly me to where Alya and the others are, please!”   

“Alright, alright, hold your ladybugs. I’ll get you there in a jiffy.” -Dragonfly said, as they took into the air.  

* * *

The group of soldiers and the remaining sphinxes that had appeared to complicate the fight against Ra had all been dealt with. That meant the heroes were free to rejoin Queen Bee and Arachnid, who kept fighting Ra uninterruptedly. Both the bee heroine and the spider hero had given everything they had against the akumatized pharaoh, whose power kept growing with each passing minute, and were now on the edge of their strength. So, when they both saw Chat, Rena and Panda making their way towards them, they felt a bit of relief, knowing that the cavalry had arrived.

“It’s good to have you guys back.” -Arachnid said, as Panda Rouge stepped right next to him.

“It’s not that I’m not happy to have you back, but couldn’t have you been a little faster?!” -Queen Bee asked them.

“Try and a group of soldiers and hungry sphinxes, who don’t seem to get tired, and then come and talk to me.” -Chat Noir smirked at the bee heroine.    

“Yeah, well, try and fight a resurrected pharaoh who believes that we’re demons from the underworld, and come and talk to me.” -Queen Bee answered him back. Though she was exhausted, she still had it in her to joke about their current situation. 

“Vile demons! If you think that because you managed to defeat my soldiers, that you think I will surrender, you are sorrowfully mistaken!!!” -Ra yelled at the heroes, as he made use of his powers to fire a series of fire balls against them. –“I will not rest until I have fulfilled my mission, and neither will my men!”

Finishing that sentence, he made use of yet another power of his, creating a shockwave that made everything in his surroundings tremble. He had used the power of Heka, the god of magic to give all his soldiers, both fallen and still standing, a boost of magical energy, with which he believed would give them the upper hand in that battle. He had been observing the Miraculous Team and saw that they were starting to weaken. In his mind, he kept repeating to himself that this was the opportunity he had been waiting for. With his soldiers reenergized, he would destroy his enemies and fulfil the mission he was given. Little by little, every last one of the soldiers that had been defeated and were laying on the ground, got back up and wasted no time in attacking everything that was in their way.

“You are good, I’ll give you that, but now, with the power of Heka at my disposal, my soldiers and I will finally destroy you and put an end to your evil, once and for all!” -Ra declared to the heroes.

“This is bad…” -Panda Rouge said, as he looked at some of the soldiers that he had taken down, getting back on their feet and charging against him and his fellow heroes.

“No kidding…” -Arachnid said. He was feeling his body tense and exhausted, like all the others. But tension and exhaustion were the last thing on his mind. Right then, the only thing that was coursing through his mind was one single question; How were they going to defeat Ra and his soldiers?

With some of the soldiers that were nearer attacking the heroes, Ra did the same, and in a matter of seconds, chaos was everywhere. Exhausted, the heroes decided the best course of action was to defend, instead of attack. They needed to regain some of their strength back. But that was not going to be easy, especially since Ra and his soldiers looked stronger and faster than ever before. It took less than ten seconds for them to see themselves surrounded from all sides. Luckily, help arrived just in the nick of time. Carapace showed up and created an energy shield around the heroes.     

“Looks like arrived just in time to save you all.” -Carapace said, as he looked at Rena Rouge. –“You okay, beautiful?” -he asked her. 

“I am now. And aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” -Rena Rouge she told her boyfriend, while smiling at him.

“You aren’t so bad yourself; you know?” -Carapace smiled back at her, teasing her.

“Well, I’m happy to see you and your energy shields.” -Panda Rouge said, on his knees. He was exhausted. Even if he wanted to, he could not create anything else with his powers. All he had left were his fighting moves.

“But couldn’t you have come a little earlier?!” -Queen Bee shot at him. –“Those things were going to make a meal out of us!” -she practically shouted at the turtle hero, while looking through the energy shield. –“And they might just do that, if this shield disappears.”

“Sorry, but Sabrina and I had to make sure that no one entered or exited this garden.” -Carapace told her.

“Where is she anyway?” -Chat Noir asked him.

“While we were coming here, we came across three soldiers, who got caught in here with us.” -Carapace answered him. –“She volunteered to get them to safety. Told me that she would catch up.” -he declared.

“Well, when she arrives, she’s going to have a little problem, with those guys outside.” -Queen Bee declared, as she continued to look outside, watching Ra and his soldiers trying to break the energy shield. The noise they were making smashing their fists and weapons against it was beginning to sound deafening. –“Hope she’s okay.” -she thought to herself.

“Don’t worry. When she arrives, I’ll create another energy bubble around her and merge it with this one, so she can join us.” -Carapace said.    

“If you can do that, then I advise you to do just that, right now, because I see a certain scarlet bug making her way towards us, along with another green bug.” -Chat Noir warned him, as he looked through the energy shield.   

Looking up, the all the heroes saw Dragonfly carrying Ladybug in her arms. But they were not the only ones who did saw them. Upon noticing their presence, Ra ordered some of his soldiers to attack them, as he too fired a few fire balls against them. Seeing the blazing orbs coming their way, Dragonfly began to zigzag in mid-air, while asking Ladybug to hold on to her. One of the fire balls nearly hit them, but the dragonfly heroine managed to evade it, by performing a loop in the air. Once she and Ladybug were in range, Carapace created an energy bubble around them, and brought them down. Once the two energy constructs touched, the one where Dragonfly and Ladybug were in was absorbed, allowing them entrance.       

“Girl, what are you doing here?!” -Rena Rouge asked Ladybug, as Dragonfly gently placed her on the ground, before turning to Carapace. –“Help her out, Nino. A sphinx tried to eat her left arm and left it in a pretty bad state.” -she told the turtle hero.

“On it!” -Carapace said, as he kneeled by Ladybug’s side and examined her left arm. –“You’re lucky it’s not broken. Don’t worry, I’ll fix you up in a jiffy.” -he said, as he used his healing powers on her.

“That was really stupid! I told you to stay put, until I managed to get back.” -Rena Rouge declared with an upset voice. But unlike what most would think, she was not upset because Ladybug went against her orders, but because she could have hurt herself further.  

“I-I know, and I’ll apologize for it later. Right now, I need a favour!” -Ladybug quickly replied to her, as she began to feel her injured arm getting better. As always, Carapace’s healing powers were just what the doctor ordered. –“I need you to deploy “Operation Doctor Allcome”, now!” -she ordered her.

Hearing her say those three words, Rena Rouge wondered if she was feeling alright. And she was not the only one. Every member of the Miraculous Team that was there and heard her asking that, wondered the same thing. Operation Doctor Allcome was what one would call “a sudden desperate last move”. It consisted on gathering every last member in the Miraculous Team for one massive final assault, where they would attempt to take down the akuma, by making use of their strongest attacks at the same time. They had baptized it with the codename for serious emergencies, where all medical staff not presently occupied are needed. But they had come up with that move to be used when they still had half of their strength in them, and not when they were running on fumes. If they attempted to pull that stunt under the current situation, it would be a kamikaze move, and they never believed they would have to use it while being on the brink of their strength.

“Operation Doctor Allcome? Are you sure about that?” -Rena Rouge asked her, while having second doubts about such a move.  

“I am, just do it!” -Ladybug waved her head.  

“No offense, Marinette, but that move was not conceived to be used under the current situation.” -Carapace said, as he finished healing her arm.

“I’m with him. I don’t think it’s such a good idea.” -Chat Noir said.

“Me too.” -Panda Rouge said.

“I don’t believe I’m actually going to say this, but it’s a bit too dangerous to pull that off.” -Dragonfly declared. Ladybug had told her what she was planning to do, while she was carrying her over.

“It’s a kamikaze move, Marinette. I wouldn’t advise it.” -Arachnid added.

“You’re going to get us dead, if we do that!” -Queen Bee protested. –“In the state we are now, if we use our strongest attacks now, we either collapse from exhaustion, or worst!” -she went on.    

“Trust me. It won’t reach that point.” -Ladybug told her. –“Believe me. I wouldn’t ask this, if I didn’t have another plan attached to it.” -she smiled. As always, Carapace had done a great job. Her arm still felt a little sore, but nothing compared to before.

“What are you talking about?!” -Queen Bee asked her.

“I’ll explain everything when the others get here.” -Ladybug said, as she turned her attention back to Rena Rouge.  –“Sound the horn, Alya.”

“Alright, you’re the boss.” -Rena Rouge waved her head, while beginning to play her flute-staff. She did not know what her best-friend was really thinking, but she trusted her enough to go along with what she asked her to do.  

* * *

The battle of Antelope and Grizzly Bear against Brutus and Reptile had taken another direction, when through Ra’s powers, the akumatized soldiers that had been taken out by the heroes, got back up and gained an energy boost, attacking Grizzly Bear and Reptile. Exhaustion had installed itself into their bodies, and it was getting harder for them move as fast as before. Even their punches and kicks were lacking the strength they had before. They knew it was only a matter of minutes before they fell to the side, with their bodies depleted of any kind of energy. They needed a moment to take a break, and recover some of their strength back. Still, they both knew that if they stopped fighting, Reptile and Brutus would kill them and take their miraculouses away.

“ _Come on, you can’t give up! Not now!_ ” -Grizzly Bear thought, as he punched one of the soldiers, sending him flying through the air.

“ _If this slithery snake thinks he’s going to beat me, he has another thing coming. I’m not giving up!_ ” -Antelope thought, as he dodged yet another attack from Reptile.

Suddenly, they all heard a loud bang, followed by what appeared to be the loudest siren they had ever heard. Stepping the fight, they all turned around, and saw what Rena Rouge had created with her illusionary powers. In the sky, a humongous police siren, along with the words “Doctor Allcome” appeared. Seeing that, Brutus and Reptile did not understand what was happening, nor did suspect the hidden meaning of that message. But Antelope and Grizzly Bear knew what it meant, and the first thing that came to their mind was that Ladybug was out of her mind to ask something like that.

“What’s the meaning of that?!” -Brutus asked, as if he expected someone to answer him.

“ _She has got to be kidding me… Operation Doctor Allcome?! How in the world are we even going to be able to pull that stunt?!_ ” –Antelope thought to himself.

“ _That can’t be right. Why would Marinette order such a thing?!_ ” -Grizzly Bear asked himself.

Still, they say that a bird in the hand, is worth two in the bush. No matter how crazy that idea from Ladybug was, it had given them the opportunity to get out of there. Looking at one another, the two heroes silently nodded to each other, that that was their ticket out of that situation. Not wasting another second, the two of them started to run, leaving Hawk Moth’s lieutenants behind.   

“Where are you going?! We’re in the middle of a fight!” -Brutus exclaimed with an upset voice.  

“Sorry, but we’ve got another place to be!” -Grizzly Bear said, as he and Antelope started to run.

“Smell ya later, smelly alligator!” -Antelope exclaimed to Reptile, further angering the lizard man.

“Get back here, kid! I’m not done with you!!!” -Reptile yelled at Antelope, before turning to Brutus. –“If he thinks he’s going to get away with this, he’s sadly mistaken. And you, you should have killed that other kid, instead of giving him pointers and tell him how to fight!” -the lizard man shot at him.

“I already told you that a warrior must respect another warrior when in battle. Besides, a good battle is always a challenge.” -Brutus shot at him. –“But I guess one can not always have that… men, after them! Don’t let them get away” -he ordered the soldiers, who quickly began to chase the two heroes. –“Let’s follow them. This battle is far from over!”

“Whatever… as long as I get to gut kill those kids.” -Reptile said, as he followed him.    

Hidden in the shadows, Madame Romani was watching the whole thing, and could not help but to feel like she was being punished by Hawk Moth. She had been thrown into that situation against her will, but like a hungry mouse, who was given a cracker, she wanted a glass of milk to go with it. She wanted to fight the Miraculous Team and finish them, once and for all, especially since she had noticed that they were beginning to show signs of exhaustion.     

“ _Master, please, allow me to join the battle._ ” -Madame Romani asked Hawk Moth, via telepathy. –“ _My sphinxes have managed to harm the heroes. Please, let me fight them._ ” -she begged her master.

Hawk Moth, who had also been watching everything from his lair, felt that the end of that battle was close and that this time things were going to work in their favour. The heroes seemed to be converging into one point. Looking at it, he immediately assumed the heroes were preparing one final attack. But with his lieutenants, as well as Ra and his army converging on the same spot to deal with them, he believed that it was only a matter of minutes, before the Miraculous Team was History, and their miraculouses destroyed. Having an additional player to the mix, did not seem like a bad idea. And on top of that, Madame Romani had done a good job foiling the heroes’ attempt to convince Ra that they were not the enemy. As he saw it, she did deserve a reward, and what better reward than allowing her to join in the final destruction of the Parisian heroes?   

“ _Very well. Go. But remember, it’s important to keep up the charade. Don’t give Ra any reason to think that you’re not an Egyptian goddess… at least, not until the Miraculous Team is dead._ ” -Hawk Moth told her via telepathy. –“ _Make sure Ladybug and the others don’t leave that battlefield alive._ ”

“You have my word, master. They won’t live to tell the tale.” -Madame Romani smirked evilly, while thinking of all the things she was going to do the heroes.    

* * *

Louve Grise and Forest Doe had been the last ones to arrive. Inside the energy bubble Carapace had created, Ladybug asked every last of the heroes to calm down, while at the same time, outside, Ra, along with his army, as well as Reptile and Brutus, were trying to break the energy bubble, so they could slaughter them. The noise was becoming almost unbearable, still, they tried to ignore it, as she explained them what the real plan was. And though they were happy that they would not have to go ahead with “Operation Doctor Allcome”, the real plan did not feel like an improvement. They all expressed their fear of things not going the way they were supposed to, with them having to rely on Corbeau Noire’s newest attack. They trusted her, but they were afraid that she might not be able to use it properly, or control it for that matter. Adding to that the fact that they would have to get out of that safe haven where they were, to keep Ra and everyone else busy, so they would not suspect the girls were missing, the whole thing did not look promising. While staying inside the energy bubble, they had managed to get a little bit of their strength back, but they did not know if it would be enough for them to take on a whole army, even if it was just for a couple of minutes.    

“So, we’re not going to pull the whole “Operation Doctor Allcome” thing. You just made me signal it to get everyone here, as well as the soldiers, Brutus and Reptile, so there is no chance of any of them finding those two, is that it?” -Rena Rouge asked her.

“Pretty much, yes.” -Ladybug asserted with her head.

“That’s a little bit risky, milady.” -Chat Noir told Ladybug. Aside from her, he was the only one in the group who had seen the attack, and knew just how it worked. –“Going out there, it doesn’t look like a smart move, right now.” -he said, as he looked through the energy bubble and saw just how  

“I would say a little bit more than risky.” -Forest Doe declared.

“Risky? That’s plain crazy!” -Queen Bee shouted at the scarlet heroine. The noise made by the enemies on the other side of energy bubble was forcing her to raise her voice, in order to be heard.

“Is it crazier than the combined attack you and her used against the Collector?” -Ladybug asked Queen Bee, while pointing to Louve Grise.

“Yes, because we had tested it before, and we had the time to perfect it! We just didn’t use it in highly populated areas!” -Queen Bee declared. –“Relying on an attack which only you and Adrien knew about, and which you have stated has never been used in combat before, and still needs to be perfected, is incredibly dangerous!” -she shouted.

“I know that, Chloe! But they have placed us against the ropes!” -Ladybug shouted back at her, as the noise increased. –“Ra’s powers are getting stronger by the minute, and we’re exhausted. I like this idea, as much as you or anyone else here, especially because it’s almost like we’re rats in a lab experiment. But we don’t have another option.” -she told her, this time with a warmer and kinder voice. Ladybug hated to shout and yell at others, even if the situation demanded it.

“Could we just skip this and get to the part, where we agree that even though it is not the best plan ever, it’s the only one we got, and start distracting these guys?” -Antelope asked, interrupting them. –“I’m not getting any younger here, and neither is any of us. So, let’s just get on with it.” -he said.   

Whether he wanted to or not, Antelope’s words produced an unexpected effect on every hero. And that was a burst of laughs. They say that laughter is the best medicine, and right then, it was just what they needed to relax and calm their nerves.

“Sweet move, bro.” -Arachnid told his best friend.

“Well, to be honest I wasn’t trying to make everyone laugh, but hey, it’s not a bad thing.” -Antelope declared.

“Dude, stop it! Or you’re going to make me bust a gut!” -Grizzly Bear said, as he tried not laugh.  

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop talking.” -Antelope stated.

“ _That’s probably the first right thing you did all day._ ” -Dragonfly thought to herself.

“Well, now that we’ve got our spirits are a little higher than before, shall we go out and give Rose and Juleka a couple of extra minutes to get ready for the big finish?” -Ladybug asked everyone.

“Well, why not?” -Louve Grise smiled.

“Let’s do this!” -Grizzly Bear exclaimed, as he crackled his knuckles.

“As Beetlejuice would say, “It’s showtime!” -Arachnid exclaimed.

“Right behind you, milady.” -Chat Noir smiled at her.

“Well, if one’s got to go, might as well go in a blaze of glory.” -Queen Bee sighed. Though she looked like she did not believe they would come out of that one alive, it was just her nerves talking. Deep down, she believed that all of that was going to work, and that they would come out victorious, as always.  

“Alright. Let’s go outside, guys.” -Ladybug said, as she looked at her friends, and they gave her their approval on the matter. –“Open it up, Nino!” -she told Carapace.

“You got it.” -Carapace said, -“Here’s hoping this crazy idea of yours works.” -he said, as the energy bubble around them disappeared.

* * *

While their friends tried to get every last villain to keep their eyes on them, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire were getting ready to play the final trump card, Corbeau’s Shadow Protocol. They had found a secluded place in the middle of several torn trees, where they felt no one would disturb them. To protect them, as well as to keep anyone from disturbing them while they were doing that, Flamingo used most of her strength to create 10 copies od herself, hoping that would mean enough shadows for Corbeau Noire’s own shadow to absorb and gain the power boost she needed. The sounds of battle at the distance were hammering their ears. They knew time was ticking and they could not afford to waste another second.   

“Are you really sure about this?” -Flamingo asked Corbeau Noire.

“I already told you, Rose. I’m sure.” -Corbeau Noire told her with a sweet voice.

“Okay, if you say so, Juleka.” -Flamingo smiled uneasily. She was worried sick about her girlfriend’s safety. –“Then, are you ready?” -she asked her, while trying to put away any bad thoughts.   

“More or less… I admit I’m a little nervous. And you?” -Corbeau Noire asked the blonde.

“I’m also a little nervous.” -Flamingo admitted. –“But don’t worry, because my nerves won’t prevent me from singing. My singing voice is at your dispose.”

“Remember, sing something sweet and calm for me. Just don’t sing any lullabies, okay? You know those give me the creeps.” -Corbeau Noire told her, as the thought of hearing someone singing lullabies sent shivers up her spine.  

“Don’t worry. I know just what I’m going to sing to you.” -Flamingo smiled at her, as she caressed her girlfriend’s face with her fingertips. –“And I know I already said this, maybe a dozen times, but, be careful, okay? If you think you can’t handle it, just break the connection.” -she said. Corbeau Noire could hear her concern in her voice.

“I will, don’t worry.” -Corbeau Noire said, as she sat on the ground, with her legs crossed and held her mirror with both hands. –“Now, start singing, Rose. It’s time for the shadows to help us win this battle.” -she said, as she closed her eyes.  


	24. The Shadow Raven

Flamingo began to hum a sweet melody, preparing to sing the song she had decided to sing to Corbeau Noire, while she used the Shadow Protocol attack. And as she hummed it, she remembered the first time her girlfriend manifested that ability of hers. She would never forget it, especially because the whole thing came as a surprise, both for her and for her Corbeau Noire.

_(Flashback)_

_Ballet practice had been good that afternoon, but Rose was not in the mood to go home, when she finished practice. If allowed to, she would have kept practicing her dance moves the rest of the afternoon, until she was either exhausted or pleased with her progress. As she walked down the street, she kept thinking about it. And the more she thought about it, the more she wanted that to happen. So, she decided that she needed a couple of more hours of ballet training, and she knew just where to go, the Garden of the Ancients. Usually, she and the rest of the Miraculous Team would only go there to train. But from time to time, one or more of them used the garden to spend some time alone, or to just relax. And because of the fact that time went slower in the garden, she could stay there for a couple of hours, than when she decided to go home, only a couple of minutes would have gone by in the real world._

_“Hey, why did you stop, Rose?” -Flint asked, noticing his holder had suddenly stopped. –“Something happened?” -the flamingo kwami asked as he peeked out of Rose’s duffle bag._

_“Yes, it happened.” -Rose smiled at her kwami. –“I decided that we’re going to the Garden of the Ancients.” -she said._

_“What?! Oh, but I wanted to go and watch the new stand-up comedy show at the Apollo Theatre! I’ve been waiting all week for it, and you know it!” -Flint protested. If there was one thing that he loved to do was to watch stand-up comedy shows, so he could expand his joke portfolio._

_“You can watch it later, Flint. Besides, it’s not like you’re going to lose it. You’ll just have to wait a couple of hours more.” -Rose told him._

_“Yeah, but I want to go home and watch it, right now.” -Flint kept protesting. He could not understand why Rose would want to go to the Garden of the Ancients._

_“Oh, don’t be like that.” -Rose told him, as she began to walk again, looking for a place where she could teleport, away from prying eyes._

_“What are you going to do there, that you can’t do at home?!” –Flint asked Rose, still not understanding why she wanted to go to the garden, when no one had requested her presence in it._

_“Simple. I’m going to keep practicing my dance moves.” -Rose declared. –“I know that I just got out of ballet class, but I’m on one of those days that I feel like I could dance all day!” -she giggled, while happily doing a pirouette on the middle of the sidewalk. Flint, who was on her duffle bag did not like it, feeling a little nauseous. –“I can’t do that at home. I just don’t have the space to do it.”_

_“Dancing, dancing and more dancing… don’t you think about anything else? And don’t answer “I also think about Juleka.”, okay? That doesn’t count!” -Flint shot at her._

_“No, I also think that if you keep acting that grouchy, I won’t give you any mango when we get home.” -Rose told him, as she finally found a spot, she felt was safe to teleport from, without risking anyone seeing her._

_“Hey, I’m not grouchy!” -Flint shot at her._

_“Oh, yes, you are!” -Rose giggled, teasing him._

_“No, I’m not!” -Flint exclaimed. –“I’m the opposite of grouchy! I’m funny and cheerful!” -he stated._

_“Not now, you aren’t.” –Rose told him._

_Teleporting to the Garden of the Ancients, the first thing Rose felt was just how the air smelled. Every time she visited it, the thing she noticed as soon as she arrived was just how different the air smelled. It smelled the way the country smells, unlike the air of Paris, which smelled like every major city; polluted and poisoned from all the smoke and other noxious gases. Breathing it in, she held her breath for a brief second, before releasing it, feeling relaxed. Looking around, she expected for the garden to be deserted, with the exception of Master Fu, who tended to spend time in it, when he was not busy attending any patient at his place. And on that afternoon, once more, the old master was seen meditating near the koi fish lake. But he was not the only one there. To Rose’s surprise, Juleka was also in the garden. She had transformed into Corbeau Noire, and it seemed like she was practicing some new moves._

_Walking towards them, she was happy to see her girlfriend there. She liked to have company while practicing her dance, and who better than Juleka to keep her company; not to mention that Master Fu, who had confided into her that he had been quite the dancer when he was younger, could also give her a couple of pointers._

_Hearing her approach, Corbeau Noire stopped what she was doing and went to greet her. Smiling, her first instinct was to gently place her hands around the blonde, pull her towards her and plant a big kiss on her lips. But she then remembered that Master Fu was present, and decided to just wave at her girlfriend, as stopped in front of her._

_“Rose! What are you doing here?” -Corbeau Noire asked the blonde, happy to see her._

_“Decided to practice my dancing moves a little longer.” -Rose smiled at her._

_“And preventing me from watching my favourite show!” -Flint protested, as he jumped out of Rose’s duffle bag._

_“Flint, please, stop that.” -Rose begged her kwami. She was beginning to get tired of hearing him complain about it. –“If you are going to keep protesting like that, I’m going to have to use the duct tape I keep with me, on your mouth, wise guy” -she playfully warned him. The first time she had threatened to do that to flamingo kwami, was on an afternoon in November, when she was trying to study and he kept practicing his jokes on her. Ever since then, when he began to misbehave, she would threaten to do just that, though she wondered if he believed she would do that to him, given her sweet and kind-hearted nature._

_“Fine, I’ll be quiet… but I still think that you’re being a little selfish.” -Flint replied to her, as he went back into the duffle bag. –“Wake me up, when it’s time to go home. I’m going to take a nap.” -he said from inside the duffle bag, with a slightly annoyed voice._

_“Flint… sometimes I wonder if there are any words in the dictionary that would describe you.” -Rose giggled to herself._

_“He sure is grouchy today.” -Corbeau Noire joked._

_“He’s a sweetheart, but sometimes he gets really grumpy, when things don’t go his way.” -Rose joked as well._

_“I heard that one!” -Flint shouted at the girls, clearly annoyed by that last commentary from Rose._

_“Never mind him. After he sleeps for a bit, he’ll be in a better mood.” -Rose admitted, when she looked at Master Fu, who remained absolutely motionless. –“I just hope all this noise isn’t disturbing the master’s meditation.” -she said._

_“Don’t worry. Master Fu told me that he has gotten used to meditating while surrounded by all kinds of noise.” -Corbeau Noire assured her. –“As long as you don’t scream at his ears, he won’t mind a little noise.” -she smiled at her._

_“Glad to hear that.” -Rose declared. –“But let me ask you something. You told me you were going with your brother to check out the place where he was going to play next, and that’s why you couldn’t come and pick me up after ballet class. So, why are you here?” -she asked her._

_“Oh, turns out Luka’s gig was cancelled this morning. He called me when I was already on my home, to tell me that, and we ended up not going to check the bar he was going to play in a few days.” -Corbeau Noire said. –“I actually wanted to go and pick you up, when your ballet classes ended. So, I came here to kill some time, but I guess I lost the track of time in here.” -she declared. She did not look like it, but she had been practicing for a couple of hours already._

_“Well, you did lose track of time, alright. But I’m here now, so you don’t have to worry about it.” -Rose declared, always smiling. Her smile was absolutely one of those contagious smiles that managed to light up a room, and it was just one of the many reasons why Juleka had fallen in love with her. –“Anyways, you were practicing some new moves, weren’t you? -she asked her._

_“I was. But they were just some fighting moves.” -Corbeau noire admitted. –“I’ve been trying to use my legs more when I’m in a fight, and not depend solely on my arms and my mirror.” -she said. –“Still, I have been secretly practicing a move, when I go on a solo patrol, which I think would be very cool if I could get the hang of it.”_

_“Solo patrol? You’ve been patrolling without me?!” -Rose asked her, not believing what she had heard her girlfriend saying. She was little upset by that revelation, and one could hear it in her voice._

_“Just once or twice. You know I get a little nervous on the eves of certain exams, and that causes me to have a little bit of insomnia. So, I go out for a quick patrol, by myself.” -Corbeau Noire explained her. –“I would call you to join me, but I know that you go to sleep real early, on the eve of a test, and I don’t want to wake you up.” -she told her._

_“Oh, but you should wake me up. You know that I don’t mind going on patrol with you, especially if you need it to fall asleep.” -Rose smiled at her. –“Next time that happens, call me and I’ll go on patrol with you.” -she said. –“But going back to what you were saying, what is this new attack you’ve been working on?”_

_“Basically, it involves me creating a double of me, just like you do, but I’ll be using my own shadow to do it.” -Corbeau Noire explained her. –“But it’s still pretty much in the early stages of development.” -she said. Even she did not know how the attack worked, or if it would ever work._

_“Would you mind showing it to me?” -Rose asked her. She was curious to see if her girlfriend would actually be able to create a copy of herself, using her own shadow to do it._

_“Sure. But I’m warning you, it might not work.” -Corbeau Noire warned her, as the blonde sat on the grass to watch her._

_“I have faith in you.” -Rose smiled at her, believing she would be able to pull it out._

_Standing straight, Corbeau Noire closed her eyes and held her hand-mirror against her chest, with both hands holding it steadily. Breathing slowly, she focused on getting her shadow to do what she wanted it to do. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and they were as white as snow, only to start to glow purple. Rose, who had never seen the raven heroine like that, became scared at first. It was only when a smile she knew so well appeared on Corbeau Noire’s face that she knew there was nothing to fear. A few seconds later, the heroine’s shadow began to gain form. At first, it did not look like anything the blonde had ever seen, but slowly, it began to look a little like Corbeau’s silhouette._

_“She’s doing it! I can already see the similarities between the two.” -Rose thought to herself. –“Just a little bit more and you’ll have done it, Juleka. You can do it!” -she thought._

_Everything was going alright, until Corbeau Noire’s shadow began to tremble. Later. It began to change into something else. A second later, it no longer looked human, but had an animal-sort of look. It was quickly turning into a giant raven. The shadow raven cawed menacingly, as it looked at Rose._

_“What’s going on?! Juleka? Jules, what’s going on!” –Rose asked, worried as the shadow raven looked at her, with its big glowing red eyes, making her feel like she was a tasty appetizer to it._

_She had finished saying those words, when two things happened at the same time. The first, Corbeau Noire let out a scream of agony, landing on her knees. And the second, her shadow that had taken the form of a giant raven charged against her. Seeing her coming, Rose rolled to the side, avoiding it. Keeping her eyes on it, and wondered what she could do, she also saw that the incessant cawing had alerted Master Fu that something was wrong. He had broken out of meditation, just in time to get out of its way._

_“What in blazes…?” -Master Fu thought to himself, as he looked at the shadow raven. –“Impossible…” -he said_

_Both Rose and Master Fu believed that the shadow raven would turn back to get them both, but instead, it made its way towards the nearby trees. Flying around them, the creature sucked their shadows, growing in size. Once these were done with, it flew towards another group of trees, doing the same to them, continuing to grow._

_“That thing is going after shadows and it’s getting bigger… maybe if I force Juleka to snap out of that trance she’s in, that thing will disappear.” -Rose thought to herself._

_Running towards her, Rose pushed Corbeau Noire to the ground, hoping that would be enough to break the trance. When that did not work, she slapped her on the face a couple of times, with the result being the same. Fearing that things could get worst, she decided to pull the hand-mirror from her hands. When she did it, Corbeau Noire let out another scream, this one even louder than the previous one. And as she did it, the shadow raven began to shrink in size, while still cawing in a way that remembered a shriek coming from a demon or an unholy creature. When it finally stopped cawing, it dropped to the ground, forming a puddle, which dragged itself towards Corbeau Noire, where it once again became her shadow, and nothing more than that._

_The whole thing happened so fast that Master Fu’s brain took a few seconds to process what had happened. Hurrying to where the girls were, he was worried about Corbeau’s well-being. Joining them, Flint, the flamingo kwami, who had heard the whole thing, was also worried about her._

_“Are you two alright?!” -Master Fu asked the girls as he kneeled by their side. Looking at Corbeau Noire, she was as pale as a ghost. Her complexion was usually quite pale, but this time, her skin looked like it had been dipped in bleach._

_“I am, but Juleka’s not waking up, master! Please, speak to me, Jules!” -Rose begged her, trying not to cry. Right then, she was feeling a tightness in her chest, as if a snake had coiled itself around her heart and was slowly squeezing it. –“Come on, Juleka, don’t do this to us! Wake up!” -she begged the raven heroine, while shaking her._

_It was then that Corbeau Noire opened her eyes and coughed violently, grasping for air. Breathing heavily, she was feeling in a way she had never felt before; as if her soul had been ripped temporarily from her body. Looking at Rose’s face, she could tell from the blonde’s expression that she was worried and scared, and that she herself was the reason for it._

_“Juleka, are you alright?!” -Rose asked her, begging to hear her voice saying she was fine._

_“I-I c-couldn’t control it…” -Corbeau Noire declared, as she gasped for air._

_“W-What couldn’t you control, Jules? Tell us.” -Rose asked her._

_“it was like… it was like I was watching through the eyes of the raven. No… it was like I was the raven, b-but I couldn’t control myself…” -Corbeau Noire declared, as a few tears rolled down her face_

_“I can’t believe she actually used that power…” -Flint thought to himself, while floating above Rose’s head. –“I know that the two of them, along with the rest of the kids are incredibly powerful, but I never thought that she would be able to temper with this kind of power after only a couple of months of wearing her miraculous.” -he mused about._

_“My dear, how are you feeling?” -Master Fu asked the raven heroine._

_“I-I think I’m fine, master. I-I mean, I still feel breathless… as well as exhausted, but other… than that, I feel fine.” -Corbeau Noire declared, being as honest as she could, while gasping for air. She was truly exhausted, as if all the energy in her body had been sucked out by a vacuum cleaner._

_“You scared the daylights out of me!” -Rose said as she hugged her girlfriend as tightly as her arms allowed her._

_“S-Sorry.” -Corbeau Noire apologized, as she too tried to hug Rose, only to find out her arms felt like gelatine._

_“It’s okay, it’s okay. You don’t have to apologize.” -Rose said as she hugged her even tighter than before._

_“I’m glad that it was more of a scare than anything else, my dear. But I must say that what happened with you, it was incredible.” -Master Fu declared._

_“W-What’s so incredible about what happened, master?!” -Rose asked the old man, a little upset with the way he talked about what had happened to Corbeau Noire._

_Upon hearing Rose speak to him like that, the old master quickly understood that he may have expressed himself in the wrong way. It was not his intention to do it, but the shock and the surprise of what had happened had taken him aback_

_“I’m sorry, my dear. I should have chosen my words a little bit better.” -Master Fu apologized to her.  –“What I meant to say, is that Juleka is the first holder of the raven miraculous to be able to use that power, in nearly 500 years, my dear.” -the old master revealed. He had never seen it before, but he had read about it and knew just how it worked. Part of him was shocked with what happened, while the rest was impressed by_

_“W-What are you talking about, master?” -Corbeau Noire said, as Rose helped her to sit._

_“He’s talking about the power of controlling your own shadow.” -Flint told her. Unlike Master Fu, he had seen this power with his own eyes before and knew just how powerful it was._

_“But I thought that was the power of Juleka’s miraculous.” -Rose told her kwami, not understanding what he was talking about._

_“No, its main power is the control of shadows. This is different. Instead of using the shadows of people or objects, she was using her own shadow to attack.” -Master Fu explained to her. –“It’s a very different power. A power, or for the lack of better words, an ability, which you were not able to use before. An ability, that only a few holders have managed to use and master.”_

_“What does that mean, master?” -Corbeau Noire asked._

_“It means that your powers are growing and evolving faster than I could have anticipated. And the same thing could very well happen to Rose and everyone else.” -Master Fu hypothesized._

_“And, what kind of powers are we talking about, master?” -Rose asked him._

_“That, I do not know, Rose. Not every holder manages to tap into the numerous powers a miraculous has.” -Master Fu declared. –“I know that when you received your miraculouses, I told you the powers that each one of them had, but those were just the basic powers. I did not tell you that as you grow stronger and more in touch with your miraculouses and your kwamis, you could very well begin to tap into some powers or abilities that at first were impossible for you to use, because you already had too much on your plate, back then.” -he explained. –“I never expected you to develop your powers as fast as you are, which is not a bad thing. It simply caught me off guard. I will have to begin researching the old texts, to see what more I can find about this matter.”_

_“Does that mean she shouldn’t use this newfound ability of hers, master?” -Rose asked him, fearing for the well-being of her girlfriend._

_“No, on the contrary, she should use it and try to harness its full power, little by little.” -Master Fu declared. –“With time, I believe you will be able to master it. And we’ll have to keep an eye out on your friends as well. If you have managed to tap into that particular ability, it means that others might do the same as well.” -he said._

_“Looks like we have a lot of work ahead of us.” -Corbeau Noire said, while looking Rose in the eyes._

_“Indeed… we’ll have to find a way to get that raven you created under control, before you use it in a fight.” -Rose smiled at her._

_“Well, that’s not going to be easy. That shadow raven behaves like an animal, and there are certain animals who just don’t obey orders, no matter what you do.” -Flint declared. –“If it was a dog, well, you could whistle at it, and it would probably come running towards you.” -he said._

_“Or maybe they can…” -Master Fu said, as he pondered about it. –“Ravens and other birds of prey respond to music. Maybe you girls could use music, or a particular song to keep the shadow raven under control?” -he suggested them._

_(End of Flashback)_

Working with that idea given by Master Fu, the girls discovered that the shadow raven did indeed responded to music, but not the way one would expect it. Practicing it, only when they were alone, the girls discovered that the shadow raven was linked to Corbeau’s subconscious, and that it responded positively to songs that she liked, while negatively to songs that she did not like. Once that was established, it was only a matter of finding the right songs for Corbeau to listen to, while using it. At first, they thought about carrying an iPod with them, for such occasions, but quickly decided that that idea would not work. Instead, they decided that Flamingo would be the one singing for Corbeau Noire. The first few times they tried this; it did not work. But thanks to the incentives and kind words from Master Fu, as well as Ladybug and Chat Noir, who they had revealed this new ability of hers to, little by little, the raven heroine managed to gain a little control over the shadowy beast, knowing full well that she was a long way from controlling fully controlling it. The worst part was that they had to be careful, regarding the time. Through trial and error, they also found out that if Corbeau Noire used that attack for more than 60 seconds, it would start to take a toll on her body, sucking her energy, just like it did when she used it for the first time. That meant that if she used it, she would have to make every second count for her own sake.  

All those thoughts went by Flamingo’s head, as she warmed up her vocal cords for the big number. And as this happened, she could not help but to feel they were playing with fire. Still, she tried to put those thoughts aside, knowing she needed to focus. Feeling she had warmed her vocal cords long enough; the blonde began to sing to her girlfriend’s right ear. From all the songs they had both agreed would help Corbeau Noire to relax, while using Shadow Protocol, there was one that was both soothing and stimulating at the same time, to Corbeau’s hears, Van Halen’s _Jump_.

“ _I get up, and nothin' gets me down. You got it tough, I've seen the toughest around. And I know, baby, just how you feel. You got to roll with the punches and get to what's real!_ ” -Flamingo sang to the raven heroine’s ears.

As soon as Flamingo started to sing, Corbeau Noire focused on bringing her own shadow to life. Breathing in and out, and fuelled by the song she was hearing, she poured all her remaining strength on making that happen. In a matter of seconds her shadow began to morph, slowly at first, and then faster and faster, until it assumed the shape of a huge black raven with a razor-sharp beak, matching talons and wide-spread wings.

Commanding the shadow raven, this one quickly swept Flamingo’s shadow, as well as the shadows of her copies, absorbing them and growing in size. Once it finished doing that, it shot upward, where it could have a better look of its surroundings, and more importantly, of how the battle against Ra was going. This one was taking a turn for the worst, as her friends and teammates were beginning to get beaten by the sheer number of enemies that were going up against them.

No matter how many times she did that, Corbeau Noire believed she would never get used to seeing through the eyes of that giant raven that until a couple of seconds before was her shadow. Looking down, she saw that there were quite a few akumatized soldiers, making their way to where the battle was happening. If she could stop them from reaching their destination, they would be one less problem to worry about. Plus, their energy would be welcomed.    

“ _Let’s do this._ ” -Corbeau Noire thought to herself.

Targeting each and every last soldier there was around, the shadow raven dove at an incredible speed, with one mission, to absorb as many shadows as it could, while taking down its designated targets. With each shadow it consumed, it became larger and more powerful. Unfortunately, it also became harder for Corbeau Noire to control it. She was using all of her strength to keep it tamed, while trying to fulfil her mission at the same time.

“ _Okay, let’s focus. You can do this… wait a minute! That’s Madame Romani! Guess I already have my very first main target picked._ ” -Corbeau Noire thought, after seeing Madame Romani.  

Madame Romani was making her way to join the fight, after finally convincing her master that she would be more helpful in the battlefield, than staying hided in the shadows. In her mind, there was only one thought, to kill the Miraculous Team, in particular, Rena Rouge. Hawk Moth prevented her from finishing her earlier, but now she would have the opportunity to finish what she had started earlier. And because she was so focused on that particular thought, Madame Romani failed to hear the shadow raven coming after her. It was only when the creature was nearly on top of her that she felt something was wrong. Looking up, she saw the creature cawing, trying to attack her. The wind propelled by its wings made the gypsy witch fall on her face, as the shadow raven stole her shadow.  

“What is that thing?!” -Madame Romani yelled, as the shadow raven turned around and charged against her once more. –“ _What kind of a things is that one?! I never saw anything like it before. Could it be another one of that girl’s illusions?_ ” -she asked herself, thinking that creature had been created by Rena Rouge, and failing to realize that it had stolen her shadow, growing a little bit more.

Getting up, she quickly attacked it, conjuring two separate illusions; a cage and a brick wall, placing the wall in front of her, for protection, while trying to get the cage around the flying beast. Though at first, she thought she had managed to capture it, the shadow raven went through it, as if it was nothing.   

“W-What?! Impossible!” -Madame Romani yelled, as she saw the shadow raven pass through the cage’s bars.

“ _You’re not going to get away that easily, you witch._ ” -Corbeau Noire thought to herself, as she ordered the shadow raven to attack her once more.   

Breaking through the brick wall, the shadow raven grabbed Madame Romani with its talons and took her up for a spin, before dropping her on the ground. She still tried to conjure up something to help her from falling, but the shadow raven attacked her repeatedly, by phasing through her multiple times, absorbing her energy. Hitting the ground with considerable force, the gypsy witch lost consciousness.  

“ _That’s less one to worry about… but I’ve got move fast. It’s getting harder to control this raven…_ ” -Corbeau Noire thought, feeling like it was becoming harder to keep it under control. She had to focus her thoughts, while hearing Rose’s singing voice, which was giving her the strength to continue.    

* * *

Things were not looking good for the Miraculous Team. After Carapace made the energy shield that separated the heroes from the villains, pandemonium raged all over the place. The heroes tried their best to fight them. They were all running on fumes, but their determination to beat those guys gave them a little boost of energy to do it. Unfortunately, that little boost lasted for maybe a minute or two. Because when it ended, the brave heroes began to be used as punching bags. Still, one or two, who saw themselves in mortal peril did their best to keep alive, like Antelope, whom Reptile had decided would die that day by his blade.

“You’re getting tired, aren’t you?!” -Reptile asked Antelope, puffing like crazy. – “Because I can do this all day, brat!” -he smirked evilly.  

“ _Tired?! I’m just resting my feet for a minute, iguana breath._ ” -Antelope countered back Reptile’s words. –“ _I can’t keep this up… that last move of his, he almost hit me on stomach. I got to put him out of commission… one way or another._ ” -he thought to himself, while dodging another attempt from Reptile from stabbing him.

Louve Grise had just prevented a soldier from spearing Queen Bee on the back, by freezing him with her ice breath, when she was hit hard on the back of her head, nearly losing her senses. Falling on the ground, it took everything she still had in her, to roll sideways and look her opponent in the eyes, as he readied himself to club her to death. She tried to raise her hands to defend herself, but the blow had weakened her more than she thought. But like always, one of the other heroes had her back. Queen Bee, seeing her laying on the ground threw her trompo against the soldier that was about to flatten Louve’s head like a pancake and hit him directly on the chest, before elbowing him on the face, saving her.  

“T-Thanks…” -Louve Grise thanked the bee heroine.

“Don’t thank me, just yet…” -Queen Bee told her, as she kicked another soldier. –“You can thank me later.” -she said, as she helped Louve Grise getting back on her feet. –“ _Whatever Rose and Juleka are doing, they better hurry up! I don’t want to end up dead!_ ”

As the heroes began to weaken, it felt that Ra instead was getting stronger and stronger by the minute. Having already mastered some of his powers, he was still discovering new abilities, abilities which allowed him to attack his opponents. Having spotted Carapace and Rena Rouge, he attacked the two of them. The turtle hero did his best to defend himself and his girlfriend from the numerous attacks the akumatized pharaoh was throwing at them. Raising a shield over the two of them, he wanted to try and attack him, but he felt too exhausted to try it. Plus, he needed to protect Rena Rouge, who had been attacked by a pair of soldiers earlier, leaving her a little bruised.     

“You fought well, demons… but it’s time to finish this! Mighty Gebb, lend me your power once more, so I can smite these demons once and for all!” –Ra said, as he punched the ground beneath him.

Knowing the ground was about to break open beneath them, Carapace created another energy shield beneath them, and united it with the one on top, creating a bubble to protect them. The second after he finished uniting both shields, the ground trembled and a huge spike came out of it,

“Let’s hope the energy bubble holds.” -Carapace told Rena Rouge.

“Thought you were always saying that these can’t be broken.” -Rena Rouge told him, as he placed his arm around her waist, pulling her towards him.

“Y-Yeah, but I never had a guy with the powers of several gods in him, trying to break it.” -Carapace said, as Ra pounded his fists against the energy bubble, trying to break it, with the sound of the hits echoing inside the energy bubble. The last time something like this happened was when Spectrum tried to break the energy bubble Chat Noir, Panda Rouge and himself were in, and they ended up not finding out if Spectrum would have been able to break it, because Chat Noir attacked him.   

“For our sakes, let’s hope that new trick from Juleka works.” -Rena Rouge told –“ _Come on, Juleka, we’re running out of time and strength here Hurry up!:_ ” -she thought to herself.

Though he had been fighting Grizzly Bear, when he set his eyes on Ladybug, Brutus decided that he would deal with her first, before trying to finish his fight with the bear hero, who was attacked by multiple soldiers. The scarlet heroine’s right arm was feeling better, after Carapace had healed it, so she did not hold back, as she charged against Brutus. With Chat Noir by her side, Ladybug attacked Brutus. She did not believe they could beat him in a fight, especially not when they were feeling incredibly weak. But she did believe they could keep him occupied, long enough for Corbeau Noire to deploy the Shadow Protocol attack and end that battle. The two fought bravely, but Brutus was the one who always had the upper hand, thanks to his military training, and the fact that he was not feeling as exhausted as the heroes. In less than a minute, he sent Chat Noir to the ground, while pinning Ladybug down, before grabbing her by the neck and lifting her in the air.  

“You were a worthy opponent in this quick skirmish of ours, but… Wait your turn, Chat Noir!” -Brutus exclaimed as he slammed Chat Noir, who had gotten up and tried to help the Ladybug, with his right arm, while continuing to hold the scarlet heroine by the neck with his left hand. –“As I was saying, you were a worthy opponent, but it’s time for us to finish this. Any last words, Ladybug?” -he asked her, as he prepared to crush her throat and snap her neck like a twig. He was sure that if he killed the team’s leader, it would break the Miraculous Team’s spirits. And on top of that, he would get her miraculous.  

“J-Just these… t-tell your master, that t-this is game over for you all, B-Brutus.” -Ladybug declared, as a smile showed up on her face.  

When she said, Brutus wondered why she was saying that, not understanding if she was just delirious or if she still had a hidden trump card she had not played yet. It was then that he saw what was saying; or better yet, he heard. Cawing as loud as an infernal horn, Corbeau Noire’s shadow raven was looking at what was going on from the sky, flapping its wings.  

“What is that thing?!” -Brutus asked, surprised with what his eyes saw.

The fact that Corbeau’s gigantic shadow raven appeared almost out of nowhere, provided the distraction that Chat Noir needed to save Ladybug. Using his staff, he propelled himself to the front and wrapped himself around Brutus, but not before elbowing him on the nose, breaking it. Using Cataclysm on his arm, he yelled in pain, as he let go of Ladybug, who dropped on the ground. Moving almost as quick as lightning, he grabbed her and placed them a couple of meters from Brutus, who kept yelling in pain.   

“I-I’ll tell you what it is… it’s the cavalry, mister.” -Chat Noir smiled, as he looked at Ladybug. –“Are you okay, bugaboo?” -he asked her.

“D-Don’t call me, b-bugaboo in f-front of the villains, please.” -Ladybug told him, while coughing a bit. She knew that because of Brutus, she was going to talk with a sour throat for the rest of the day. –“B-But thanks for the saving.” -she thanked him, with a smile.

“That was a low blow. I expected more from your second-in-command, Ladybug.” -Brutus told the heroine, as he wiped his bloody nose. Chat had caught him off guard. –“But it doesn’t matter. I’ll get rid of both him and you.”

“You try to attack us, and that bird will make a meal out of you!” -Chat Noir warned him, as he placed himself in front of the scarlet heroine, in case Brutus decided to ignore his warning.  

The giant shadow raven kept hovering above everyone’s heads, looking at its potential targets with its red glowing eyes. The akumatized soldiers, as well as Ra also saw it and stopped fighting, wondering if the creature that was staring at them was either friend or foe, and would its intentions be?

“A giant raven? By the gods, could he be a messenger from yet another god who decided to grant its blessing on us?” -Ra asked himself

“ _He’s really in for a surprise._ ” -Carapace thought to himself, as he admired the shadow raven, knowing full well that whatever was going to happen next, the only ones coming out of it laughing, would him and the rest of the team.    

“ _Okay, I’m impressed. That giant raven looks like something that came out of a Final Fantasy videogame, only darker, scarier and way cooler than those._ ” -Arachnid thought, as the images of enemies such as Amano Zuu or Bikanel Zu appeared inside his mind.

Knowing that the trickiest part of her mission was about to start, Corbeau Noire focused on telling the shadow raven to only target the enemies, while leaving her teammates alone. She also knew that the time was running out and she had to put an end to it. So, she ordered him to absorb every shadow there was, before beginning the attack. Doing it so, every shadow was ripped from their owners and absorbed by the shadow raven, who continued to grow in size.

“ _Alright, let’s finish this._ ” -Corbeau Noire thought, as she looked through the eyes of the raven and saw that she had arrived just in time to save her friends.

Ordering the shadow raven to commence the attack, the shadow creature descended on its opponents with a speed that could be compared to that of Dragonfly or Antelope. Attacking the soldiers, these all fell down, one by one, as the raven phased through their bodies and sucked all of their energy. They tried to fight it, but even with their weapons, their attacks were futile. To the shadow raven, they were nothing more than miserable insects.

With the exception of Ladybug and Chat Noir, who had seen Corbeau Noire’s Shadow Protocol in action before, the rest of the heroes were amazed not only by the shadow raven’s speed, but by its unique abilities and its sheer size, as well. Like their opponents, they had seen many things before. Things that would seem impossible or improbable, but nothing like that. But what amazed the most was just how fast it could change its size to target its enemies. Up in the air, it looked massive, but as it approached the ground, it would shrink to a relatively small size and attack its enemies, before flying upwards, regaining its original size.

Once the soldiers were dealt with, Reptile and Brutus were next. Hawk Moth’s lieutenants upon seeing what that creature had done to the soldiers, knew that they were about to deal with a very powerful fiend. Letting go of Ladybug, Brutus pulled a spear from his chest and readied himself to battle the shadow raven. As for Reptile, he stood his ground, brandishing his blade, even though something inside was telling him to run; and that something was his reptilian survival instinct. All reptiles hated birds and feared them, and with him being reptile, seeing a ginormous bird looking at him the way it was, was giving him the shivers. Still, he knew that if he ran, his master would kill him for deserting.

The two lieutenants stood their ground, waiting for the shadow raven to attack them, before making their move. But they never got the chance to attack, as the shadow raven attacked them, by splitting into two and attacking them separately. This came as a surprise to both Brutus and Reptile, as well as the heroes who were not expecting it to happen. Still on the ground, with Chat Noir by her side, Ladybug was amazed with what was going on.   

“ _Juleka couldn’t do this the first time she showed me and Adrien this ability._ ” -Ladybug thought to herself. –“ _Just how powerful can this shadow of hers get?_ ” -she mused about, with her eyes following the shadow ravens, who continued to attack Reptile and Brutus.

Reptile was the first one to go down, as one of the shadow ravens phased through him, sucking all of his energy, and leaving him to fall on the ground, unconscious. Brutus, on the other hand put up a bit of a fight. But even he, with all his military background, was no match for the second shadow raven, ending up on the ground, depleted of energy and unconscious, just like it happened with the lizard man. Once they were both on the ground, the separate shadow ravens fused back into one again. Becoming one, the shadow raven let out a powerful caw.    

“Fowl creature! How dare you to attack my men and two gods! You are clearly in cahoots with these demons!” -Ra exclaimed, as he summoned the power of Sekhmet, once more, with two fire balls appearing on his hands. –“My men may have been defeated and you may have defeated Mantu and Sobek, but the gods favour me, vile creature! I will destroy you and then finish what I have started!!!” -he yelled, as he readied himself to attack it.  –“Taste the wrath of Sekhmet, you fiend!”  

Ra was the last man standing, but like the warrior pharaoh he was, he would not go down without a fight. Firing at the shadow raven, he was determined to destroy it. And as such, he used every last one of his attacks against it. But no matter how powerful the pharaoh’s attacks were, they passed right through the shadow raven’s body. Being a shadow, it could not be hurt, at least not by physical attacks.

“What kind of a creature are you?!” -Ra roared, as he kept firing fire balls at it. He was determined to destroy it.

After letting Ra try to fight it for a bit, while also hoping to tire him a bit, Corbeau Noire ordered the shadow raven to attack him. Using the same trick as before, the shadow raven split into two and attacked Ra. The akumatized pharaoh tried to fight them both, but soon understood that he could not fight that creature.

“W-What is g-going on?! I-I’m feeling… f-feeling w-weaker…” -Ra said, as he tried to use the power of the water goddess Hapi, hoping that the water from the river would provide him a suitable counter-attack against the shadow raven. –“T-This beast is clearly strong… give me strength, oh, gods!” -he thought tohimself, as one of the ravens phased through him, sucking out a bit more of his energy.   

He begged the gods to give him the strength to fight that creature that was attacking him. But his plea ended up falling on deaf ears. Phasing through Ra, the shadow raven sucked his energy. But while it was only necessary to phase once through the soldiers and twice for Hawk Moth’s lieutenants, for Ra, it was necessary to phase more than 10 times. The levels of energy inside him were superior to what the raven heroine thought they would be for an akuma.

“I-I-I will not g-go down, you demon!!!” -Ra roared, as he was attacked by the two shadow ravens, multiple times.

He put quite the fight. Still, in the end, Ra fell to the ground, without a single drop of energy in his body. After what had looked like an eternity, the battle was over and the Miraculous Team had finally defeated the akumatized pharaoh, with Corbeau Noire giving him the coup de grace. Lying on the ground, Ra tried to move his left arm, but his body did not obey him. He tried to move, but his body simply did not obey him.     

“F-Forgive m-me, Osiris, father of a-all gods… I-I have failed you.” -Ra said, as he finally fainted, losing consciousness.  

“ _Mission accomplished._ ” -Corbeau Noire thought to herself, as she Ra fainting, ordering the shadow raven to release all the shadows it had consumed and return to her. As for herself, she nearly fainted, only to be caught by Flamingo. She had exhausted most of her strength, and the little bit she had left in her, was barely enough to keep her eyes open.  

 


	25. Another Day, Another Victory

With Ra and his army on the ground, along with Hawk Moth’s lieutenants, there was only one thing left to do, and that was to get rid of the akuma butterfly that was inside Ra’s body. Panda Rouge who was the one closest to Ra, decided to check if the Akuma butterfly had already exited his body, or if they would have to extract it. Approaching the unconscious Ra, he saw the akuma butterfly exiting his body, flapping its wings, trying to run away from there. It was not the first time he saw that happening, but it was the first time he saw an Akuma butterfly with a different colour. 

“A red akuma butterfly?!” -Panda Rouge asked, surprised by what his eyes were seeing-

“That’s… unusual.” Forest Doe said, as she too looked at the flying creature. 

“Since when are akuma butterflies red? I thought they were black!” -Dragonfly said.

“Who cares what colour it is, just destroy it! The last thing we need is one of those things running around and akumatizing someone, or something else.” -Antelope said, believing he was speaking for all of them. The last thing they all needed right then, was another akuma to fight them.   

“I’ll do it!” -Queen Bee exclaimed, as she aimed her trompo at the diabolical creature. –“No more evil-doings for you, you stupid akuma butterfly!” -she said. –“I relinquish you from evil!”

When Queen Bee’s trompo hit the Scarlet Akuma Butterfly and destroyed it, Ra and all of his soldiers turned back into his mummified state, no longer akumatized. Looking at Thutmosis III’s mummy, he looked ever so serene and peaceful, making it hard for them to believe that until a few seconds before, he had been fighting them. Standing a couple of feet from them were both Reptile and Brutus, still unconscious. Grizzly Bear was going to suggest they would wake them up and try to make at least one of them tell them, where Hawk Moth’s hideout was. But before he could open his mouth, their bodies disappeared, right in front of them, leaving him and the others speechless. Unknown to them, Madame Romani, who Corbeau Noire had also left unconscious earlier, also disappeared.

“Okay… this is the first time this happens.” –Louve Grise said.

“What do you supposed happen?” -Forest Doe asked her.

“Either I’m wrong, or Hawk Moth teleported them or something.” -Arachnid answered her. –“I guess he doesn’t want us interrogating his minions to find out where they are hiding. Either that, or he simply decided that he did not want to wait to punish them.” -he added.

“I don’t think moth-breath will be happy with what happened today.” –Antelope stated, as he imagined the possible punishments he was going to give to his lieutenants, all of which were not pleasant to even think about.

“And can you blame him?” -Dragonfly asked him. –“We stopped one more of his akumas, and we’ve beaten his new lieutenant, even though he was a tough cookie.” -she admitted. From all of Hawk Moth’s lieutenants, Brutus was the strongest they had faced, unlike what she thought at first. –“I would be pretty pissed, to say the least.” 

“Well, pissed or not, with some luck, he won’t be bothering us again for a while.” -Ladybug said, as she got back up, with a little help from Chat Noir. –“And I don’t think that pharaoh will wake up again in the foreseeable future.” -she smiled, as she turned to Chat and looked him in the eyes. –“I know I already said this, but, thanks again for saving me.”

“My pleasure, milady.” -Chat Noir smiled back at her. –“Besides, you would’ve done the same thing.” -he winked at her.

“Well, I guess it’s time for us to use the Ampulla Amulet and clean all this up.” -Carapace said, as he and Rena Rouge approached their best friends.

“Indeed. This garden looks more like a disaster zone, than anything else. Plus, we’ve got to put all these mummies back in their place.” -Ladybug said, as she prepared to summon the Ampulla Amulet, only to be stopped by Chat Noir. 

“Wait, don’t use it right away! We still need to get back inside the Louvre.” -Chat Noir reminded her. –“When we turn things back to the way they were before that mummy over there woke up, we have to be inside the museum, or it will be pretty hard to explain how we ended up on the outside, when we were supposed to be on the inside.” -he said.

“He’s right. Besides, my dad’s inside one of the energy bubbles right outside the museum.” -Louve Grise told them. –“As soon as those disappear, and knowing that I’m supposedly inside, he’s going to look for me, to check if I’m alright.” –she said, knowing that for her, her dad would break protocol, just to be sure she was alright. –“And he won’t be the only trying to enter the museum. Behind those ice walls I created there are ambulances, fire trucks, among others, just waiting to get here to provide medical assistance to everyone. It’ll be impossible for us to enter, without anyone seeing us. We really need to get back inside, before we activate it.”

“And that’s not the worst part of all this. Don’t forget the cameras inside. As soon as we put everything back the way it was, they’ll start rolling, and we don’t need images of us entering the museum, or transforming back into our civilian selves. Even if they don’t get images of us transforming back, they will definitely get images of us entering. And it takes only one person to make the connection that if our team entered the museum, but did not come out, that among the people that are inside the museum, there are the members of the Miraculous Team.” -Rena Rouge declared. –“How are we going to solve this problem? Because we’re going to need to put everything back the way it was, but not before we can find our way back inside, without being seen.” -she said.    

The fox heroine was right. All it would take was one person to connect the dots, and sooner or later, the secrecy of their identities would be a thing of the past. If that happened three things were sure to happen as a result of it. First, their identities would be exposed on the media and on the Internet. Second, like everyone else, Hawk Moth would know who they were. And third, they would become a target, as well as their families, something that none of them wanted. The mere thought of such a thing happening, scared them more than losing their miraculouses or their own lives.     

“And we’re not even counting the cameras on people’s cell phones.” -Panda Rouge said. –“As soon as we enter that place, they’ll start snapping photos with them. I mean, they probably already did when we first showed up, but this time is different. We would need to be invisible to get back in.” -he declared.

“And I don’t suppose you can turn us all invisible for a little bit? I can do that, but you guys have to stick close to me, and I don’t know if I have the energy to do it for more than a couple of seconds, by maybe drawing an Invisibility cloak or something similar we can use?” -Forest Doe admitted. Even if she wanted to, she was just too tired, like everyone else.

“I wish I could, but I don’t even have the energy to do that for myself, let alone all of us.” -Panda Rouge declared.  

“So, how are we going to do this? How are we going to get back in, without being spotted?” -Queen Bee asked.

“Leave that to me. I think I know how we can go back inside the museum, without having to use the front entrance.” -Dragonfly smirked, as a plan began to take form inside her mind. –“But first, let’s get Rose and Juleka.” -she said.

Both Flamingo and Corbeau Noire had not moved from the place they were, with Flamingo making sure Corbeau Noire was alright, after using the Shadow Protocol. Though she had not used it for more than the designated 60 seconds, the attack had taken a big toll on the raven heroine. She was going to need at least three things after pulling that stunt; lots of rest, a big chocolate bar and the care of her girlfriend, who was already taking care of the last one, by staying next to her, caressing her face and telling her just how proud of her she was. Flamingo would be lying if she said that she was not proud of Corbeau Noire.

“You really showed them, Jules.” -Flamingo said, as she caressed Corbeau Noire’s hair. She had closed her eyes momentarily, and was just lying there, smiling. –“I know I keep saying this, but I’m so proud of you. And I know everyone else is as well.” -she said, which caused the raven’s heroine smile to become slightly broader than before.      

She was focused on her girlfriend, that she failed to hear the rest of the team approaching them. It was only when she heard Dragonfly and Antelope quarrelling about something absolutely trivial that she noticed them coming.

“Is she alright?” -Ladybug asked Flamingo, fearing the worst, when she saw Corbeau Noire lying on the ground.  

“She’s okay. She’s just exhausted.” -Flamingo smiled at Ladybug.

“That was one heck of a performance, Juleka.” -Carapace told her, as she slowly opened her eyes.

“T-Thanks, N-Nino.” -Corbeau Noire smiled, as she tried to get up.

“W-Wait, don’t’ get up that fast.” -Flamingo said, as she helped her getting back up. –“We’re going to need to get you something sweet to replenish your sugar levels.” -she smiled.  

“But how did you do that? I didn’t know you could do that.” -Forest Doe asked her.

“It’s a long story. We’ll tell you everything about it later.” -Flamingo quickly answered for her. She did not want Corbeau to waste her remaining energy.

“Perhaps it’s better. It’s best if we move.” -Rena Rouge agreed. 

* * *

Going back inside the Louvre without anyone knowing was not easy to do as Dragonfly initially thought it would be, but it was not as hard either. Because of the time she spent inside the Louvre over the years, visiting her father’s work, she knew the place better than most people. And it was thanks to that knowledge, plus a little bit of help from Forest Doe, who once more had to use her invisibility power, that they managed to sneak back inside the Louvre, through the cargo docks, making their way through the warehouses and into the curating offices. They did not see a single person as they went through them, but kept using Doe’s powers, just in case. None of them said it, but they all believed that they were thinking the very same thing; that in the near future, they would have to come up with better ways to sneak in and out of buildings with heavy security, without anyone realizing it, especially after a battle.

“ _This is going to be remembered as our toughest battle ever, not because of the akuma we fought, which was pretty tough actually, but because of the fact that we had to sneak in and out without anyone noticing it… I almost feel like I’m a criminal or something._ ” -Ladybug thought to herself.

“ _I bet Batman doesn’t have this kind of problems._ ” -Chat Noir thought to himself. –“ _I mean, come on, what kind of problems would he have? He’s Batman, after all._ ”

“ _It’s times like this that I wished my powers allowed me to create a device that would allow us to teleport, wherever we wanted to._ ” -Panda Rouge thought to himself, while remembering that though his powers were among the strongest in the team, they still had limits. 

When they arrived at a small lobby that Dragonfly recognized as being near the offices where they had left her father, her brother, Miss Bustier and Adrien’s aunt earlier, she told everyone to stop. Upon not seeing anyone, she said it was alright to be visible. With those words, Forest Doe stopped using her invisibility, turning everyone visible again.   

“Thanks a lot, Mylene.” -Dragonfly said, as she and the others saw themselves visible once again. 

“D-Don’t mention it… and I hope you don’t ask me to use my powers again, because I don’t think I can do it again.” -Forest Doe said, exhausted. She told them that she was too tired to use her powers, but still made an effort to use it, because without her help, they would not be able to pull that stunt.

“No need to. We’re close enough to where the curating offices are now. I think we won’t need to be invisible any longer.” -Dragonfly warned her.

“Thank goodness. I don’t know if I can give another step, without falling to the side.” -Forest Doe sighed, out of relief.

“We owe you a soda.” -Carapace declared.

“Instead of a soda, I’ll have a strawberry smoothie… and make that 13 strawberry smoothies, one from each of you.” -Forest Doe joked, which earned a couple of laughs from her friends.     

“Fair enough. You earned them.” -Grizzly Bear smiled at her, as he tickled her, making her giggle.

“Totally.” -Arachnid agreed with the bear hero.

“Alright, I guess this is a safe place as any other.” -Dragonfly declared, as she looked around and saw no cameras. –“We better do this quickly. People are going to start wondering why the Jardin des Tuileries looks like anything, but a garden.” -she said.

“You guys change back into your civilian selves now. I’ll use the Ampulla Amulet and then, I’ll also change back.” -Ladybug declared.

“But what if there’s a camera around that catches you?” -Rena Rouge asked her.

“Don’t worry. If there are any cameras around, I’ll ask Plagg to investigate and if there are, he’ll destroy them, before she changes back.” -Chat Noir said.

“Always one step ahead, bro. That’s what I like about you.” -Carapace told him.  

“Okay, then let’s do this. You guys go first, then I will. We got to go back and see if Miss Bustier and the others are alright.” -Ladybug said.

With that, the Miraculous Team, minus Ladybug, turned back into their civilian selves. And once that was done, the scarlet heroine activated the Ampulla Amulet. Turning it on, a wave of magic emanated from it, spreading all over the place and turning everything back to the way it was, as well as making whatever trace of the heroes’ powers disappear into thin air. The power of the amulet was incredible. By using it, no matter just how large it had been, every trace of a battle would disappear.

And just like he had promised, once he turned back into good old Adrien Agreste, the blond asked his kwami, Plagg, to check if there were any cameras around, and if so, to destroy them, so Ladybug could transform back into Marinette. A couple of seconds after, the black cat kwami came back saying he did not find a single one around. Giving the A-Okay signal to her, Ladybug transformed back into her civilian self, relieved to just be her old self once more, while being greeted by her kwami, who smiled at her.

“Great job as always, Marinette.” -Tikki told her. She looked tired, just like all the other kwamis looked.

“Thanks, Tikki. But you did half the work.” -Marinette told her kwami, making her blush.

“Hate to break the cute conversation, but we need to go now.” -Chloe said, as she let Pollen hid inside her purse. After lending the blonde her powers, the bee kwami needed to rest for a bit.

“Can’t we just sit down for a couple of minutes?” -Marinette asked her. She felt exhausted and needed to sit, even if it was just for a little bit.

“Do that latter. Come on, let’s see if my dad and my brother are alright.” -Alix said, as she started walking out of the lobby.

“Don’t forget about Miss Bustier and Adrien’s aunt.” –Alya told her.

“I wasn’t forgetting about them. Now, come on!” -Alix replied to her. –“The longer we take to get to where they are, the more worried they’ll become.” -the pink-haired girl declared. She did not say it, but she was worried about her dad and her brother.

“You guys go ahead; I’ll stay a little behind and help Rose with Juleka.” -Marinette said. She felt tired, but Juleka, who was holding on to Rose, was exhausted and could barely stand up. So, she decided to help them out. –“Plus, it will give me the time to also catch my breath.” -she thought to herself.   

“Yeah, you go ahead and make sure they are alright. We’ll be there in a minute.” -Adrien said, as he also stayed behind.

“W-What about your aunt?” -Marinette asked Adrien, as she let Juleka place her left arm over her –“Okay, Juleka, let’s go.” -she said, as they began to walk down the corridor. –“I thought you would want to see if she’s okay.”

“I’m sure she’s okay.” -Adrien smiled at Marinette. –“Besides, I don’t mind staying behind, if you girls need a little bit more help.” -he admitted.

“T-Thanks, Adrien, and you too, Marinette.” -Juleka told them both.

“Don’t talk, save your energy for walking, okay?” -Marinette told her.

“You’re going to have to get seen by a paramedic.” -Tamara told Juleka. The raven kwami was worried about her. –“You don’t look so well.”

“Got to say it. I’ve seen zombies with a better than she does right now.” -Flint said, trying to make a joke, but failing miserably. –“Okay, sorry, it was supposed to be a joke, but I’m so tired I can’t even make a proper one.” -he apologized.  

“She’ll be fine. She just needs to eat something and rest.” -Rose said. –“I wish there was a vending machine around here.” -she said.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find one in a bit. Right now, let’s just try and get to where the rest of the guys is.” -Marinette said. –“But Tamara is right. She needs to be seen by a paramedic.” -she said, agreeing with the raven kwami.

“But what are we going to say? Miss Bustier will freak out, when she sees her like this.” -Rose declared. It was clear by the sound of her voice, she was scared.

“Rose, calm down. We’ll come up with an excuse, don’t worry about it.” -Adrien told her. –“We’ll say that because we couldn’t find a way out, she began to freak out a little, and her blood sugar levels dropped and she began to feel weak, you know what I’m saying?” -he said.

“That could actually work. Nice thinking, Adrien.” -Marinette smiled at him.

“Well, you pick up a thing or two when Plagg is addicted to TV series on Netflix like Grey’s Anatomy, House and Emergency Room.” -Adrien smiled back at her.

“Hey! I’m not addicted, I just suffer from Netflixitis!” -Plagg exclaimed, making everyone giggle. –“What?! It’s a serious disease.”

“Yes, serious… so serious that you probably don’t get up from where you are, just to pause the remote.” -Tikki joked.

“Tikki, don’t say that. You also do the same thing when you’re watching things on my laptop.” -Marinette giggled.

“I do not, Marinette! Not like him.” -Tikki protested.

“Looks like our kwamis have more in common than we thought.” -Adrien told Marinette.

“Yeah, absolutely.” -Marinette smiled.   

“ _They’re so perfect for one another._ ” -Rose and Juleka thought to themselves, as they looked at Marinette and Adrien. The way they talked and behaved around one another, reminded them of themselves. –“ _Hope she finds the courage to tell Adrien how she feels about him._ ”

* * *

While this happened at the Louvre, in Hawk Moth’s lair, things were not going well for his lieutenants. Reptile and Madame Romani begged for forgiveness, as their master punished them, by electrocuting them both with the power of his cane. He took no pleasure or joy in punishing them, because it was constant reminder that once again the Miraculous Team had won the day, and that they would continue to be a thorn on his side for a little longer. And yet, he punished them, to serve as a reminder that if they would to fail or disappoint him again, that they could expect a fitting punishment. The only one who had not said a single word since he materialized back in the lair had been Brutus. Unlike his fellow lieutenants, he believed he deserved to be punished for his failure. He had failed to kill the Miraculous Team and to bring back their miraculouses. And he blamed himself for it. He blamed himself for his failure, as well as for the failure of his fellow lieutenants.

“Thank you, master.” -Brutus said, as he felt the pain coursing through his body. –“I deserve this p-punishment.” -he said.

“P-Please, master, I-I beg you… stop… no more.” –Reptile begged Hawk Moth. He had been electrocuted so many times that he could feel his flesh sizzling.

“Please, master… w-we will not fail again…” -Madame Romani also begged him.

“Where is your honour?! Accept your punishment and don’t beg for mercy… we deserve no less for our failure!” -Brutus shot at his fellow lieutenants.

“ _Maybe you think that way, but I don’t! Unlike you, I did not fail my mission… I released you and stopped that fox girl from making Ra see through your pathetic scheme!_ ” -Madame Romani thought to herself. –“ _Besides, who cares about honour, especially when you’re in this much pain, you military imbecile!_ ”

Before either Madame Romani or Reptile could answer him back, Hawk Moth shocked them again, making them howl in pain.

“You three have disappointed me, yet again. Once more, those Miraculous Brats have outsmarted you and ridiculed you.” -Hawk Moth declared in a cold and distant voice. –“And once again, this city and the rest of the world have seen just how weak you are… and you know what that means, don’t you?” -he questioned the three lieutenants. But before one of them could answer, he answered for them. –“It means that it makes me look weak to the eyes of the world! Me, the future ruler of this world!”

Hawk Moth’s shout echoed all over the lair. You would not have to be a genius to realize he was furious. Once again, he had been humiliated for the whole world to see and there was nothing he hated more than to be humiliated.  

“T-There is no excuse for my failure, master.” -Brutus declared.  

“You’re right, there isn’t an excuse for your failure, Brutus.” -Hawk Moth said, as he electrocuted him once again. –“And because from the three of you, you’re the only one who’s admitting his failure, I will be less severe with you.”

“T-Thank you, master Hawk Moth, sir. But if I may, master, don’t. I deserve a punishment as severe as theirs.” –Brutus told Hawk Moth. –“Just like them, I have failed you, and must accept a fitting punishment for my mistake.” -he declared, believing in every word that came out of his mouth.

“ _This guy must be a masochist!_ ” -Reptile thought to himself. –“ _Who in their right mind would except this kind of pain?!_ ” -he mused to himself.

After a few more shocks, Hawk Moth released the three lieutenants from the magical restraints he had placed them in, ending their punishment. Hitting the ground, the three of them felt like they had been repeatedly thrown against an electrified fence. The pain they were in would continue to bother them for the next couple of hours, as a bitter reminder of their failure. And while Reptile and Madame Romani cursed their luck and the pain they were in, knowing it would be a couple of days before they could move properly, Brutus on the other hand embraced the pain, seeing it as a harsh, yet just mistress. Over the course of his life as a soldier, he had learned the hard way that pain could take a person a long way, if that person was willing to learn from it.  

“I believed that with one of my Scarlet Akuma Butterflies, the akuma that you chose for me to akumatize would destroy those kids.” -Hawk Moth told Brutus. –“But in the end, he was defeated.”

“It was my fault, master. I thought I had chosen a worthy vessel to carry out your wishes. But I guess the mummified pharaoh wasn’t as strong as I expected him to be.” -Brutus apologized to his master.  

“No, it wasn’t just that. The heroes are growing stronger. I did not expect for one of them to be able to tap into her miraculous the way it did, as least, not this fast. I haven’t seen that kind of power from a miraculous holder in a long, long time.” -Hawk Moth admitted. –“And if one managed to do so, it means that the others might do that as well. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, but eventually… and that is, if they haven’t done it yet.” -he told them. –“Still, if they had, they would have certainly used those powers in today’s battle… But we cannot be sure of it. We can’t let that happen, no matter what.”

“W-What should we do then, master?” -Reptile asked.

“You will continue to do what you’ve been doing so far, only better and faster. You will need to find me more victims for my beautiful Akuma butterflies to be used on, proper victims, who display the right amount of negative emotions in their hearts. Time is passing by, and I am no closer to my objective then I was, when I broke from my prison of stone.” -Hawk Moth declared.

“What about the Scarlet Akuma Butterflies? Why can’t we just use more of those?” -Madame Romani asked her master. She was not going to admit it in front of the others, but she became impressed by the kind of power that particular butterfly held.

“Because that special brand of Akuma Butterflies should only be used in specific targets. Targets that one can look at them and see that inside them, they have the potential to become a superior akuma.” -Hawk Moth answered her. The truth was, to create a Scarlet Akuma Butterfly, the villain would need to use an enormous quantity of energy. If he wanted to, he could create a whole swarm of them, to akumatize a medium-sized group of people to unleash chaos into the city. But in doing so, he would become weak, and it would take him days, if not weeks to regain his strength back. –“Besides, my beautiful Akuma Butterflies can do the same damage as the Scarlet ones, if you find me the right victims, on which to use them, of course.”

“Understood, master.” -Madame Romani declared. It was not the answer she wanted to hear, but once more, she was going to keep her thoughts to herself.  

“And furthermore… if they haven’t done it yet, we can’t let those kids tap into their miraculouses and unlock new powers and abilities.” -Hawk Moth declared. –“We must defeat them, at all cost.” -he said with a grim voice. –“They are the only real obstacle in my rise to power, and they must be dealt with. Only when they are out of the picture, will I be able to rule supreme and make this world, a world where the strong rule, and where the weak will either die or become stronger, so they can join those who will be the new masters of this world.”

* * *

Right after the Ampulla Amulet was used, and the damages caused by the fight between the Miraculous Team and Ra disappeared, police vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances that had been prevented from approaching the Louvre, made their way towards it, and quickly entered the museum, to check on the people that had been taken hostages. Ever since Hawk Moth first showed up, response teams were trained to deal with that kind of events. Among those who were the first to enter the museum, was Lt. Roger Raincomprix, Sabrina’s dad. When she repeatedly failed to answer her cell phone, he quickly entered the museum to look for her. He knew he was breaking protocol, leaving his men behind, but he did not care. He just wanted to make sure his little girl was alright.

The lobby, where the paramedics began to assist and examine everyone, soon became the closest thing to a makeshift triage zone, one would see in a virus outbreak film. The only difference was that there were no medics wearing hazmat suits, and there were no army soldiers carrying assault riffles around. Most people were physically alright, having sustained no kind of injury during the time they were taken hostage, mostly thanks to Carapace. But there were some that would need psychological support due to nerves, which caused them to have anxiety attacks.  

“ _Come now, Sabrina, where are you, pumpkin?_ ” -Lt. Raincomprix asked himself, as he kept looking for his daughter. He wanted to phone her again, but he tried to call her so many times, that his cell phone ran out of battery, just before the Miraculous Team had placed everything as it was before the battle.  

When he finally found her, she was entering the lobby accompanied by the rest of her class, as well as her teacher, Alix’s dad and older brother, and Adrien’s aunt. Part of him felt relieved to see his little girl safe and sound, while the other part compelled him to run as fast as he could, just to hug her. Kneeling in front of her, he placed his arms around her, and hugged Sabrina, relieved to see her well. 

“Are you alright, pumpkin? Are you hurt?” -Lt. Raincomprix asked Sabrina, calling her by the nickname he had given her, when she was just a little girl.

“No, dad, I’m okay.” -Sabrina smiled at him. The truth was she was exhausted, but she could not tell him that, just like she could not tell him that once again, she had saved his life as Louve Grise. –“But Jalil and Juleka, I think they need to be seen by a doctor.” -she told him, pointing to both the Goth girl and Alix’s brother.

“What happened?” -he asked.

“My brother sprained his ankle, and Juleka had an anxiety attack.” -Alix answered him.

“Fortunately, it’s nothing serious, but your daughter is right. They need medical assistance, as well as the rest the class” -Miss Bustier told the lieutenant, smiling, before turning to the class.  –“I know that you have told me that you are alright, but I insist that you need to be seen by a paramedic. You all went through a lot today.” -she told her class.

“But we are fine, Miss Bustier. We’re just tired and in need of some rest.” –Ivan told her.

“I believe that you think you are fine, but I’m in charge of you all, and I say that you need to be seen by a doctor or a paramedic.” -Miss Bustier told Ivan.

“Dad, please! I know Jalil needs to be seen, but I don’t.” -Alix protested.

“Sorry, Alix, but your teacher is right. You need to be seen, just to be sure you’re fine. I’m sure it won’t take long.” -Mr. Kubdel said.

“But dad…” -Alix continued to protest.

“No buts. Its better to be safe than sorry, Alix. Besides, it will probably not take long.” -Mr. Kubdel told her.

“Your father’s right. It will be quick.” -Elodie said, after which she looked at Adrien, and was once more relieved to see he was safe and sound.

“Come on, let’s find you all someone who can examine you. Follow me, please.” -Lt. Raincomprix said, as he began to clear a path for them.  

As they waited to be examined, the whole class called their parents, to let them know they were alright and that it would be a couple of hours until they could go home. While Mr. Kubdel stood by his son’s side, Miss Bustier remained by Juleka’s, along with Rose, as she was examined by a paramedic.

“A case of dehydration?” –Miss Bustier asked. –“But I thought that she had a low blood-sugar episode.” -she said, while looking at Juleka, who was lying on the stretcher. 

“Yes, but it seems that on top of it, she also seems incredibly dehydrated.” -the paramedic declared.

“Are you sure she’s dehydrated?” -Rose asked the paramedic. Juleka had become dehydrated because she had been fighting, and because she had used Shadow Protocol, and the blonde feared that they would not be able to explain why she was suffering form dehydration.

“Yes. Sometimes an anxiety attack can cause a person to become dehydrated, especially in closed spaces. Your pulse becomes faster, which makes you sweat. Combined with nerves and fear.… but she’ll be fine. She just needs some fluids and a little bit of rest.” -the paramedic told her. Upon hearing that, the blonde’s heart stopped racing like crazy. –“She’ll be good as new in a few hours, trust me.”

“I’ll go get you some water, then.” -Rose told Juleka, as she went to do so. Paramedics and firefighters, as well as some police officers had been distributing water bottles to everyone over the past five minutes. 

With nothing else to do, except waiting to be examined, Alix, along with some of her classmates were all just seated there. On top of having to wait to be examined, they had to wait for the time they could leave, knowing that would not happen for at least another hour. This was the first time they got stuck on a place, after saving the day. And the only thing they could do was wait, while answering their parents calls, who kept asking them if they were alright, and when were they expecting to come home. In an unusual move, Alix went to a vending machine and bought a soda, just because she was tired of just being seated on the same place. She did not know why she did it, but figured the boredom was starting to get to her. She was not fond of sodas. Looking at the can, she was about to throw it away when she remembered Kim loved that brand. Walking back to where she had been seated, she gave him the soda.

“Here, you can have it. Sorry if it’s not cherry flavoured, but they only had pineapple.” -Alix told him, as she handed him the soda can.

“Thanks.” -Kim told her. –“As long as it’s something with enough sugar to choke a buffalo, I don’t really care, right now. I just need the sugar.” -he said, as he opened the can. –“But, why did you buy me this?”

“I didn’t… I bought it for me, but after getting it, I decided that I was not in the mood for it.” -Alix told him, as she sat next to him on the ground.

“Well, thanks anyway. How’s your brother?” -Kim asked her.

“He’ll live.” -Alix answered him with a laidback voice, as she sat by Kim’s side. –“He’ll have to use crutches for about a month or so, but he’ll be fine.” -she said. –“He’s more upset about the fact that someone told him that Ra was Thutmosis III reincarnated, and he missed it all… classic Jalil, always more interested in History than anything else.”

“Yeah, that’s so your brother.” -Kim laughed with her.

At the same time, Chloe was on the phone with her father, Mayor Bourgeois, who as soon as he learned that an akuma had attacked the Louvre, tried to call her. But just like it happened with Sabrina, and the rest of the class, because she spent her time fighting Ra, she was unable to answer his calls. And that just made the mayor become even more worried than he already was. It was only when he heard his daughter’s voice, that he allowed himself to relax a little bit.    

“Yes, daddy, I’m alright.” -Chloe said over the phone. –“No, I’m with Sabrina and the rest of my friends… no, daddy, I’m not hurt, and I only saw the akuma for a couple of moments.  I was always with Miss Bustier. Yes, after I get out of here, I’ll be going to the hotel…” -she lied to her dad. –“Will I see you at dinner tonight? Okay, I promise I’ll tell you everything at dinner. See if you can wrap-up that press conference quickly, because I won’t start eating, until you arrive. Bye, daddy.”

And she was not the only one who was then on the cell phone. Marinette was also talking to her mom, on what was already her third call. Sabine was worried that something bad had happened to Marinette, and Marinette herself was having a hard time convincing her otherwise. She was on what Marinette used to call “Full Worried Mom Syndrome”, which consisted on Sabine calling her a bunch of times, just to know if the situation had changed five minutes after her last call, and to hear her voice as well. This, of course, forced Marinette to repeat herself, over and over.

“Mom, please, nothing happened. I’m fine. I’m just really tired, because of everything that happened.” -Marinette told Sabine over the phone. –“You can tell dad that I don’t even have a single scratch. We were hidden through most of the time, with Miss Bustier by our side.” -she said. –“And before you ask, no mom, you don’t need to make me my favourite dish tonight. But I’ll happily have one of dad’s world-famous pizzas… yes, and remember, I want one with lots of pineapple on it. Yes, see you later. Goodbye, love you too.”

“Who puts pineapple on pizza, girl?” -Alya asked her with a joking voice, as Marinette ended the call.

“I do, Alya.” -Marinette giggled. Even as exhausted as she was, the blue-haired girl still had enough energy in her to smile at her best-friend. –“And I think it’s silly when people say that it’s disgusting to put it on a pizza.” -she stated. –“I don’t see what’s so wrong about it.”

“Tell that to the Italians. If we had someone with Italian blood on our class, I bet it would tell you that doing that is considered a crime in certain places in the world.” -Alya joked.

“Well, not in my house.” -Marinette giggled. –“So, have you talked to your folks?”

“I did. They both freaked out a bit, when I told them what happened, but everything’s okay.” -Alya told her. –“Nino’s talking to his parents now, and he’s hoping that they don’t freak out and stop him from leaving home for the rest of the month.” -she said.

“I’m sure they won’t.” -Marinette said. –“By the way, have you seen Adrien?”

“You mean your crush?” -Alya whispered back at her, as she let out of a giggle, which made Marinette raise an eyebrow at her. –“Sorry, sorry, couldn’t help myself.” -she apologized, while still giggling. –“I saw him a couple of minutes ago, over there, talking to his aunt, why?”

“Oh, nothing, I just wanted to ask him how he’s holding out, that’s all.” -Marinette answered, with a nervous smile on her face.

“Right…” -Alya giggled, knowing fully well that was not just why she wanted to talk to him. –“One advice, girl. If you’re going to talk to him, at least try not to look like you’re nervous. It makes you look… well, the opposite of cute.” -she joked.

“Ha, ha, ha… it’s so funny, I even forgot to laugh.” -Marinette told Alya, with a sarcastic voice, after which, she winked her left eye at her, telling her she had enjoyed the lame joke. –“If you need me…”

“I won’t, trust me.” -Alya winked at her. –“Go find him, while I go and see if Nino’s going to be forced to stay home for the rest of the week or not.” -she joked.

Leaving Alya to check on Nino, Marinette went looking for Adrien. When she found him, he was talking on his cell phone, and initially thought he would be talking to his father, who had called him to see if he was alright, like it had happened with everyone else in their class. But as she got closer, she saw that whoever he was talking over the phone, it was not his father Whenever his father called him, he got this little glow in his eyes, and right then, he did not have it. That was just one of many things Marinette knew about Adrien, not because she was a stalker or anything, but because she was his friend, and because she loved him. And right then, she knew that whoever Adrien was talking to, it was not his father.  

“Yes, I understand. Very well. I’ll keep my eyes open for him. Goodbye.” -Adrien sighed, as he ended the call.

“Anything wrong?” -Marinette asked him, trying not to sound worried.   

“Oh, no. I was just talking to Nathalie, who told me that Gorilla is coming to pick me up.” -Adrien told Marinette.

“Have you talked with your dad, yet?” -Marinette asked him.

“Nope… he has his cell phone turned off. He’s probably in a meeting and can’t answer.” -Adrien told her.

“Well, I’m sure that when he finds out what happened, he’ll call you right away.” -Marinette said, trying to cheer him up a little. –“What about your aunt? I thought she was here with you.”

“Oh, she’s over there. The museum’s director wanted to talk to her about something. She said she would come back in a few minutes.” -Adrien said.  

Marinette was about to ask him something, when she heard her cell phone ringing, telling her that she had received a text message. Grabbing it, she figured it was her mom texting her, just to ask her once more if she was alright. But to her surprise, the text was not from her mom. It was from Master Fu. And upon reading it, she could not help but to smile.

“It’s from Master Fu. He says: “Good job stopping the akuma. P.S. Regarding the training session I told you to about, you and the rest of the team can skip it today. You’ve earned an afternoon off. Don’t forget to tell them that.” -Marinette told Adrien.

“That’s nice of him.” -Adrien said. Once he got home, he intended to jump into his bed and sleep the rest of the day. After all that happened, he believed it was a fair request, especially on a day where he did not have any photoshoot or modelling-related work on his busy schedule. –“And given what happened today, it’s the best gift we could ask for.”  

“It is… still, we need to talk to him about that red Akuma butterfly that came out of Ra’s body, when we defeated him.” -Marinette said. –“I don’t know about you, but something tells such a thing can’t be good.”

“I’m with you on that one.” -Adrien agreed with her. –“I don’t know why that one was different from the others we destroyed until now, but I’m hoping Master Fu knows something about it. After all, he faced Hawk Moth two centuries ago. If he used red coloured Akuma butterflies before, maybe he’ll know about it.” -he said.


	26. Mending Fences

Once again, Hawk Moth and one of his Akumas made the news, not only in France, but all over the world. The media coverage of it applauded the Miraculous Team, who had once more saved the day, as well as making sure that the priceless works of art in the Louvre were not damaged. It was the second time in just a couple of days that the Parisian heroes saved a national monument; first Notre-Dame, and now the Louvre. The petitions that had been created online demanding the built of a collective statue of the Miraculous Team, right after they saved Notre-Dame from the flames, gained a new boost, thanks to what happened at the Louvre, with now people demanding also individual statues for each of the heroes, to celebrate their importance, and the difference they made.

But those were not the only news regarding the Hawk Moth theme. On the day the Louvre was attacked, Mayor Bourgeois announced during the press conference that he himself called out, after the Louvre attack, that a new Akuma warning system was going to be implemented all over Paris in the following weeks. This system would allow people to know that an Akuma attack was taking place, and giving them the chance to get out of the streets and seek refuge indoors. Ever since Hawk Moth first showed up, a system of the kind was discussed. But it was only after the first attacks that things were set in motion to make it a reality. Now, the system, which worked similarly to a tornado warning system, was ready to be used, and the people who developed it. hoped that it would be a major help for the city.    

“Yes, this warning system will serve as a warning to people on the street to seek refuge, and it will be integrated as part of the emergency response teams that are already dealing with this sort of situations in our fair city.” -Mayor Bourgeois told the reporters who were in the press conference.

The idea was a good one, but the question that was on everyone’s mind was if that would work, or not? Well, not everyone. In the minds of the whole Miraculous Team, another question had settled in; why was the Akuma butterfly that came out of Ra’s body upon his defeat red, instead of black? For them, that was the 1-million-euro question. But to know the answer to it, they had to wait until the following day, to talk with Master Fu about it. While waiting to leave the Louvre, they all talked amongst them regarding that matter, and for a moment, they thought about calling Master Fu, but then the kwamis suggested that that was not something they would want to discuss over the phone. They even asked the magical creatures if there was something special about that Akuma butterfly being red, but they all said that it was best for Master Fu to explain everything. And given just how exhausted they were, Marinette and the others did not insist on the matter, preferring to wait until the following day. Still, the blue-haired teenager still questioned Tikki about it, when they got home.

“I know I promised I would insist on the matter, but Tikki, please, tell me what was the deal with that red Akuma butterfly.” -Marinette said, as the scarlet kwami got out of her backpack.

“Trust me, it’s best if Master Fu explains everything to you, tomorrow.” -Tikki told her. –“I could tell it to you, but I think it’s best if it’s someone with a little more knowledge on the matter.” -she stated.

“I thought you knew just about everything regarding Hawk Moth.” -Marinette sighed, as she sat on her chaise-longue.

“No, I know a lot of things about him, but I don’t know everything about him. There have been things regarding him that happened, when I was asleep in my miraculous.” -Tikki told her, as she hovered in front of Marinette’s nose.

“But this one you know, don’t you?” -Marinette asked her, insisting on the matter. The whole deal was just making her uncomfortable.

“I do, but not all of it.” -Tikki told her. –“Trust me, it’s best if you wait until tomorrow

“I knew I should have convinced the others to call Master Fu, when we were still at the museum.” -Marinette sighed, knowing that Tikki was not going to tell her anything about it, no matter how much she begged her to do so. –“ _And if she’s not telling me anything, the rest of the kwamis won’t tell the others either. Guess I’ll just have to imagine what that could mean… though one thing I’m sure of, it’s not something good._ ” -she thought to herself.  

And so, she did. She waited for the following day to ask the old master. And just like she had anticipated, the other kwamis did not say a word about it to her friends either. When they all arrived at school, the first thing they did was to send a text to Master Fu, telling him they needed to talk to him, urgently. At first, some of them insisted on calling him, but not knowing if he was still sleeping at that time of the morning, they put that idea aside. They did not have to wait long for an answer, saying that after lunch he would receive them in the Garden of the Ancients.    

Because they had to wait to meet with the old master, on that morning, to Marinette and her friends, time felt like it had slowed down to the point where they could almost swear the hands of the clock in their classroom were barely moving. And it did not help that on that morning Miss Bustier decided that they give them an Algebra lesson.

But eventually, after lunch, the school bell rang, announcing that classes were over for the day. Not losing any time, the whole class grabbed their things, told Miss Bustier they would see her the following morning, and looked for a place, where they could use the teleport, to get to the Garden of the Ancients. Upon arriving, they walked to the Guang Baohu temple, where they knew Master Fu would be expecting them. And when they got there, they saw the old master finishing setting the table for them all. As always, he had numerous kinds of cookies and cakes to be eaten with a steaming cup of tea, as well as a plate with the kwamis favourite foods.

Smiling at them, he told them to take a seat, while he went to get the tea. Asking them what kind of tea they were in the mood for that day, they told him to surprise them. And surprise them he did. From the vast selection of teas, he had in the tea cabinet, he decided that the ideal tea for that afternoon was an apple and cinnamon tisane. The smell of the tisane was absolutely delicious and invigorating, and like all teas and tisanes the old master served the teenagers, it tasted even better. It was the kind of tisane one did not need to add sugar to it.

“So, is the tisane to your liking?” -Master Fu asked.

“Absolutely.” -Adrien said.

“It’s quite delicious, master.” -Rose declared.

“And about you?” -Master Fu asked the kwamis, who were all drinking from a bowl.

“It’s delicious, master.” -Tamara said.

“Once again, a superb and wise choice, master.” -Wayzz stated, as he took another sip from the bowl.

“You’ve got to give Mylene the address of the place where you buy it, because I think I’m going to start asking her to make me this tisane, at least once a week.” -Pin told the old master.

“I promise I will, Pin.” -Master Fu promised to the deer kwami. –“And now, on to business. First, and foremost, I must congratulate you all on a job well done yesterday.” -he told the team. –“Especially you, Juleka. You showed that you are beginning to take full control of your new ability.”

“Thank you, master.” -Juleka thanked him. –“But I still have a long way to go, before I can master it.” -she admitted it.

“I’m sure you will master it, that I have no doubt about it.” -Master Fu declared. –“And I’m sure that in due time, Juleka won’t be the only one to unlock and master more advanced abilities given by your miraculouses.” -he added.

“That would be sweet, I admit.” -Kim said, as he imagined what kind of special abilities and attacks would he be able to do, when he found how to unlock them. –“You can’t by any chance tell us what kind of powers each of us will unlock, master?”

“Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t know, Kim.” -Master told him. –“You see, each miraculous has numerous abilities, each one of them different, and I’ll admit that I don’t know most of them… except for the turtle miraculous of course, which I once owned.” -he said. –“Plus, the miraculouses also respond to each holder’s unique personality. For example, the previous owner of your miraculous could have been able to unlock an ability that you won’t. But you may be able to unlock one which he could not. Do you understand what I mean?”

“In other words, we’ll have to find out which abilities we’ll unlock by ourselves.” -Kim sighed.   

“I’m afraid so, my boy.” -Master Fu chuckled. –“In another subject, I also noticed that Hawk Moth has found himself a new lieutenant.” -he declared.

“Yeah, his name is Brutus, and he’s one tough cookie, to not call him something else.” -Ivan told Master Fu. –“He’s incredibly strong, as well as fast, and he can produce weapons from his own body.”

“Fascinating.” -Master Fu said, as he heard Ivan talking.

“And that’s not all, master. He’s a fierce fighter, and he even takes the time to correct our fighting moves, if he sees that we’re doing things wrong.” -Adrien admitted.

“Somehow, someway, he seems to be one of those people to whom the honour in combat is more important than anything else.” -Marinette said. –“I mean, he’s just as dangerous as Reptile or Madame Romani, but he’s different. Those two would kill us by stabbing us through the back, without even caring about it, while he… he would not do that. He would even allow you to pick yourself up, just to continue the fight.” -she said. –“It was almost… surreal.”

“Interesting, no doubt about it. You might be able to explore that personality trait of his, for your own benefit.” -Master Fu declared.

The conversation was quite animated and cheerful. But there was someone who had not spoken a word since they arrived, and who felt that they were taking too much time to get to the subject they really needed to talk with Master Fu. And that someone was none other than Chloe. Feeling that they needed to go straight to the reason it had led them to seek the old master, she interrupted the conversation.   

“Sorry to interrupt, but could we go straight to the point? We came here to ask the master a couple of questions, regarding a particular subject, and we’re here talking as if nothing has happened!” -Chloe exclaimed.

“Chloe!” -Sabrina reprimanded her.

“It’s alright, my dear. I can tell by the way she, and maybe one or two more of you seem a little bit more agitated and tenser than usual, that there is something that is disturbing both your minds and your spirits.” -Master Fu said with a calm voice. From the very first moment that he had seen them, he noticed they were a bit too tense, but decided to let them confront him about whatever it was they wanted to talk to him.

“There is, master.” -Nino admitted. –“It’s something that even Wayzz and the other kwamis felt that it would be best if you were the one explaining it.”

Hearing those words out of Nino, the old master wondered what could have the issue been, that even the kwamis preferred, if it was him to speak about it. On the back of his head, numerous hypothesis began to pile up, one worst than the other. 

“You say that they didn’t tell you about it?” -Master Fu asked, as he turned his eyes to face the kwamis.  

“We felt that it was best if you did it, master.” -Tikki told him with a serious voice.

“Well, then, what it is that you feel like it should be me to talk with them?” -Master Fu asked them, fearing the worst.

“It’s about something we saw yesterday, when we battled Ra.” -Alya said. –“When we were about to destroy the Akuma Butterfly… this one was different from the others.” She said.

“Different? What do you mean by different?” -Master Fu asked her.

“It was red, master.” -Sabrina declared. –“This Akuma Butterfly was red.” -she stated.

“Red?!” -Master Fu exclaimed.

“Yes, master. I even sketched it.” -Nathaniel said, as he opened his backpack to take out his sketchbook. –“It looked just like this.” -he said.

Opening it on the page where he had sketched the red Akuma Buttefly, he allowed Master Fu to look at it. Nathaniel had done his best to sketch it as best as he could, and later colouring it.

“A Scarlet Akuma Butterfly… now I understand why your kwamis felt it was best if I was the one to tell you about it.” -Master Fu said, his voice almost sounding like a whisper.

“A Scarlet Akuma Butterfly, master?” -Nathaniel asked.

No one spoke during the next couple of seconds, as Master Fu’s brain registered what the young heroes had told him, but more importantly, what he had seen  

“Uh, forgive me, master, but what exactly is a Scarlet Akuma Butterfly and what’s the big deal about it?” –Alix asked the old master.

“A Scarlet Akuma Butterfly is a special kind of Akuma Butterfly. Regular Akuma Butterflies can akumatize people and objects. But the Scarlet ones, they can also akumatize dead people… which explains why your last opponent was akumatized. I should have seen it, but it was only when you talked about it, that I made the connection… I guess I should blame myself for not seeing it, just because deep down in my heart, I did not want to accept that possibility.” -Master Fu answered, as he sipped a little bit of tea, to help clear his throat. –“Hawk Moth used them before, to create stronger, faster, more powerful Akumas. Akumas that were impervious to most kinds of physical attacks.” -he explained. –“He first used them almost 3500 years ago, in Ancient Egypt, and the Akumas that they produced were the strongest ever created by him, until then. Hawk Moth had decided that his Akuma Butterflies were not strong enough to create Akumas that would destroy the miraculous heroes, so he decided to make use of his dark powers and created a new brand of Akuma Butterflies, which were scarlet, and granted the akumatized victim more power than the regular Akuma Butterflies did, while also finding out that they could resurrect the dead. But these people that came back from the dead, they were not the people that had died. They were simply dead bodies that still had in what was left of their brains, memories of who they had been. And these new Akumas caused problems during weeks, before the miraculous heroes were able to stop them.”

“And you know that how?” -Max asked, curious.

“Because that knowledge was transmitted through the centuries by the Miraculous Order. Plus, I read it, in the Book of Prophecies.” -Master Fu answered him. –“And because during the last battle against Hawk Moth that I took part of, he also used them to create several Akumas, to try and stop me and my fellow companions from reaching his base of operations.” -he declared. The old master hardly spoke about his time as a miraculous holder, but when he did, the young heroes always found out something more about him and about that time. –“They were incredibly powerful. We had battled a couple of them before, but those last ones he created to stop us, they were phenomenal… that’s the word I used to describe them. One of my friends, the previous owner of the Bear miraculous, he almost died, trying to fight one of them. If it wasn’t for his fighting prowess, as well as a sizable amount of luck, he would have probably been crushed to death by that Akuma.” 

“Well, considering that we defeated one Akuma that had one inside him, which I destroyed, I would say that they have made a comeback, just like the 80’s fashion.” –Chloe pointed out.

“Does this mean that from now on every single Akuma that we fight, they will have one of those Scarlet Akuma Butterflies inside them, and they will be stronger than the ones we’ve faced so far?” -Mylene asked with a slightly frightened voice, fearing the answer.

“I don’t think so, Mylene.” -Master Fu told her, trying to calm her a bit. –“Although you should prepare yourselves for the possibility of facing more Akumas with one of those Akuma Butterflies inside them, you must understand one thing. To create these Akuma Butterflies, Hawk Moth must sacrifice a sizable portion of his dark energy. And although his powers keep growing, each day it goes by, I think he will not waste his time, or his precious energy creating multiple Scarlet Akuma Butterflies.” -he declared. –“For the time being, I think he will only use them, when he believes he has found the right victims to use them on… but that doesn’t mean we’re just going to simply wait for him to do that.”

“Why do I have the feeling that this is going to mean that we’ll have to train even harder than before?” -Alya asked.

“Because usually your feelings are right.” -Nino told her, while placing his right hand on her left shoulder. –“And because you’re also the smartest girl I know, Alya.” -he whispered to her ear, making her smile.

“And you’re right, Alya. Yesterday, you were able to stop Ra, because Juleka used her new ability. If by chance, she hadn’t used it, you probably would have not been able to stop him, or you would have taken a lot longer.” -Master Fu declared. –“Because of that, you will have to push yourselves harder than before, and while doing it, try to unlock new abilities. I know that saying it is easier than doing it, but I trust that you will be able to do it, if you just keep training like you have so far.” -he said.

The idea of unlocking and developing new and more powerful abilities and techniques was quite good. But the young heroes still had a few doubts about all those new Akuma Butterlies, and you could see that by the looks on their faces. And one such doubt was, if there was a way to find out if an Akuma had one of those inside it, or not. Max, being the nerd of the group, and always the first one to ask those questions, did not hesitate in asking.      

“Well, let’s suppose the Akuma that were dealing with has a Scarlet Akuma Butterfly inside it, instead of a regular one. Is there a way for us to know that? Maybe a technique or perhaps even a talisman even?” -Mas asked Master Fu. –“I’m just saying, that it would be useful to know if we would be forced to use just our usual attacks, or advanced ones.” -he stated.   

“Always one step ahead of everyone, as usual, Max.” -Master Fu smiled at him. –“To answer your question, there are ways to sense if an Akuma possesses a regular Akuma Butterfly, or a Scarlet Akuma Butterfly. I will teach you how to do it, in due time.”

“So, there’s a way for us to know that.” -Rose sighed, relieved of hearing such a thing. –“At least, we’ll know when we’ll need to use more advanced attacks.” -she said, while looking at her girlfriend, with fear in her eyes.

“Don’t worry, I already told you, Rose, I’m fine.” -Juleka smiled at her, knowing deep down Rose still had not recovered from the scare she had given her the previous day. –“And I promise you that I will be careful and not use Shadow Protocol, unless it’s really necessary.” -she promised the blonde. 

“Yeah, we won’t let her do it.” -Sabrina declared. –“Because we’ll be training as well and try to unlock our own abilities, so she doesn’t have to always be the one to use hers.” -she added, making Rose smile upon hearing it.   

“By the way, master, do these Scarlet Akuma Butterflies can akumatize, let’s just say, someone who’s wearing a miraculous?” -Mas asked him.

“No, Max, they cannot.” -Master Fu said. –“No matter how powerful they might be, an Akuma Butterfly cannot do such a thing. As you might remember, your miraculouses produce a magical aura that protects you from the magic of the Akuma Butterflies, as well as most Akumas powers. Hawk Moth still has to come up with one that has enough power to do it. So, you don’t have to worry about being akumatized by one of those.” -he stated.       

Though the news they had learned about were mostly not good, at least among them, two could be considered good, or at the very least, a little bit more positive. Knowing that just like it happened with the regular Akuma Butterflies, the Scarlet ones could not akumatize them either, and that the odds of dealing with another Akuma with one of those inside it in a short period of time were slim, managed to calm them a bit. But, at the same time, it also told them that they would have to train harder than ever, so when the time came, they would have the means to face one of such Akumas.

“Well, at least there’s no pressure on that department” -Kim said in a sarcastic tone. –“Guess we’ll be working overtime to make sure that we can deal with Akumas powered up by these new Akuma Butterflies.” -he sighed, with the same sarcasm in his voice.

“Would you cut it our with the sarcasm, please? We all know that things aren’t exactly good, right now, but they aren’t exactly bad either.” -Alix told him.

“Alix’s right. Not everything is bad news.” -Marinette said. –“Sure, Hawk Moth has a new weapon at his disposal and he also has a new lieutenant. But we managed to defeat both, and we’re going to do it again. We’ll have to work even harder than before, but I know we’ll be able to do it, and you know why? Because we’re all in this together. I know that this is like the most cliched thing, but it’s true. Ever since we got these miraculous, three things have happened.” -she went on with a passionate voice. –“First, we became more than just friends; in the words of Miss Bustier, we’ve become the closest thing to a family, a family, whose members are always there for each other. Second, we have faced more enemies than we can count, but we always ended up on top, because we’re team whose members aren’t afraid to step up their game, when the going gets tough. And third… heck I don’t have anything right now, but who cares?! All I know is that I believe in you, not just because you’re my friends and teammates, but because I know that in the end, everything will turn out okay. It doesn’t matter if Hawk Moth throws us a whole army or not. As long as we stick together, and believe that we can win, we’ll win.”

When Marinette talked like that, there was no way they would not feel motivated to do anything. They did not know how she chose the words for those inspiring speeches she gave from time to time, but one thing was true. She always managed to find the right words to inspire them. And as always, she was applauded by those inspiring words of her. Both humans and kwamis applauded her, knowing that she was right.

“Spoken like a true leader, girl.” -Alya declared, as she kept clapping.

“Great motivational speech as always, Marinette.” -Adrien said, as he clapped his hands.

“You go, girl!” -Alix exclaimed.

“Well said, Marinette.” -Tikki said.

“That’s why you’re the leader, kiddo!” -Mika exclaimed.   

“Come on, don’t say that, you’re making me blush!” -Marinette told everyone, as her face became as red as a beet.

* * *

A little later, after finishing their conversation with Master Fu, the whole team teleported back to Paris. As always, talking to the old master about Miraculous-related problems had given them a lot to think about, but it also given them a certain reassurance that everything would turn out okay in the end, just as long as they kept to work as a team.   

“I know I already said this, but that was an awesome speech, Marinette.” -Adrien told her.

“T-Thanks, Adrien.” –Marinette said, trying not to blush, when he flattered her. –“But like I said before, it was nothing, really.” -she said, while still trying not to blush.

“Yes, it was, Marinette.” -Tikki said, as she peeked form the inside of Marinette’s backpack. –“That was your best speech yet.”

“I’m with your kwami on that one, girl. That was really your best speech ever.” -Alya declared, while smiling at her best-friend.

“Indeed. You even gave me goose bumps when you spoke it.” -Sabrina declared.

Marinette still tried to say it otherwise, but in the end, they were all saying the same thing. That speech, had been her best ever, and it was the living proof that she with or without her mask, she knew just what to say to them to give them confidence to keep doing what they had been doing until then. And even without admitting it, she enjoyed when they complimented her on her speeches. It made her feel like what she was doing a good job, by being supportive and an inspiring leader.

“A-Alright, alright, enough with all the praising.” -Marinette begged her friends. –“If you keep saying those things, my face’s going to be more red than a tomato.” -she said, as she herself felt blushing hard.

“Yeah, because if you keep blushing like that, you won’t just look like a tomato. You’ll look like Tikki.” -Flint joked, while chuckling.  

“Flint! That’s not nice!” –Rose reprimanded her kwami.

“What?! It’s true! If she gets redder than that, Tikki and her could pass as twins!” -Flint said, laughing at the idea.

“That’s okay, Rose. To me, that’s a compliment.” -Marinette told the blonde, as she imagined herself the same colour as Tikki and giggling over the idea.   

“So, do you guys want to go on patrol now?” -Nino asked the whole group. –“I mean, I’m only speaking for myself, but it’s still early to go home and I’ve got nothing else to do, so…”

“I’ll go with you. I just need to be sure that Nora is home to babysit the twins, when they arrive from school.” -Alya said, as she grabbed her cell phone and texted her older sister.

“I wish I could but I need to go. I’ve got to set up things for tonight, if I’m going to solve things between my dad and my aunt.” -Adrien declared.  

“Is that happening tonight?” -Nino asked him, with Adrien nodding his head. –“Do you need any help, bro?” -he asked.

“Because if you need, we’ll be happy to lend you a hand.” -Marinette declared.  

“Yes, Adrikins, we’d be happy to.” -Chloe told him. She knew just how much he wanted his father and his aunt to make peace with one another, because if they did, then that would mean that he would have been able to accomplish his mother’s last wish, which was for the two of them to get along.  

“We have your back, if you need to, Adrien.” -Kim declared.

The idea of having his friends helping him out on that night was good, and for a moment Adrien felt tempted to ask them for their help. But in the end, he knew he had to that alone. Besides, if things went south and his plan failed, he did not want any of them to get caught in the middle, because that would probably mean his father would never let them set foot inside the mansion again.

“Thanks, but this is something I need to do alone.” -Adrien told them. –“Besides, if things go wrong, I don’t want to give my dad a reason for never letting you step foot inside the mansion again.” -he said.

“If you say so, we understand, bro.” -Nino said, giving him a thumbs up.

“Yes, we don’t want you to get in trouble with your dad because of us, either.” -Rose said.

“But if you change your mind, Adrikins, we’re one phone call away, all of us.” -Chloe told him. 

“Thanks, Chloe. But hopefully, if everything goes right, I won’t need any help tonight.”

“Hey, what about me?!” -Plagg said, as he peeked out of Adrien’s shirt pocket, where he was hiding.

“You’ll be there to give me moral support, Plagg.” -Adrien told him.

“That’s better. I was beginning to think that you would forget all about me.” -Plagg said.

And it was then, with those last words Plagg said echoing in his head, that Adrien remembered about a thing that got stuck in his subconscious. Something that his aunt and his mother had found, just before the late one’s death. Something that might have been linked to the Miraculous Order, the miraculouses and Hawk Moth.  

“What’s the matter, Adrien?” -Chloe asked him, noticing there was something wrong, just by looking at his face.

“I just remembered that I forgot to tell Master Fu about a thing my mom and my aunt found out about.” -Adrien declared.

“What was it?” -Marinette asked Adrien.

“Well, according to what my aunt Elodie told me, a few days before my died, they had found something that was supposedly going to be the discovery of the century in that part of the world. A city, which they believed had been built to honour a group of demigods with incredible powers, who had managed to vanquish a great evil. Doesn’t that sound familiar?” -Adrien asked them.

It did not take them all even half a second to connect the dots and realize what Adrien had just said. Demigods with incredible powers, who had managed to vanquish a great evil, thousands of years ago? It was almost too good to be true, but by now, they had learned never to believe in coincidences.

“You don’t suppose…” -Nathaniel said.

“I’m not supposing anything here, I’m saying that the two of might have found evidence of the existence of a previous Miraculous Team in Cambodia.” -Adrien said.

“If that’s true, what are the odds of your mom finding anything even remotely linked to the Miraculous Order, and years later, you are chosen to uphold the black cat miraculous, which you’re wearing right now in your finger?” -Nino said.

“Well, I would have to make a couple of calculations, but I can safely say that the odds are pretty much astronomical.” -Max declared.

“I don’t think Nino was hoping to get an answer to that question, bro.” -Kim told Max, who looked back at him.  

“Do you suppose one of the reasons why the Book of Prophecies has your name in it, is because your mom and your aunt found this city, or what was left of it?” -Mylene asked him. –“I mean, it would be a really big coincidence.” -she stated. 

“That I don’t know… but honestly, I don’t think it matters.” -Adrien declared. –“I think the only thing that really matters is that I wear this ring now, and I’m doing the best I can with its powers.” -he said.

“Still, we really need to tell Master Fu about this. I mean, if there are traces of previous miraculous holders, spread out over the world, who knows, we might even get to know more about our own miraculouses and about Hawk Moth himself?” -Max declared.

“Definitely. Though Master Fu knows a lot, he has stated that a lot of knowledge regarding the Miraculous Order has been lost through time. If we could find more about this place, and even others, we might find out about other evils that have existed and that the miraculous holders have fought with, and perhaps, even find a way to destroy Hawk Moth forever.” -Alya declared, as her brain came up with all the possibilities one could imagine, regarding that mater. 

“That’s a mighty big if, Alya.” -Juleka pointed it out.

“But that can wait for now. Now, Adrien needs to focus on what he has to do tonight.” -Nino said, as he patted the blond on the back, as he felt that his best-friend did not need to worry about that matter, right then. –“Just forget about that, and focus on what you have to do, bro.” -he said.

“Thanks, Nino… thank you all, for the support. I’m going to need all the luck I can get.” -Adrien admitted, while silently telling himself that later, he would ask his aunt more about that discovery. But only after he had managed to mend fences between her and his father.        

* * *

It was almost six in the afternoon, when Gabriel Agreste finally returned home, after a whole day of business meetings and problems that needed to be solved. And it was at the end of such days that he wished that things were simpler, like when he was younger and still giving his first steps in the world of fashion. But most importantly, when his wife was still alive. Being a single father was not easy, especially when he had a fashion empire to command. Luckily, he had Nathalie on his side to help him out. Ever since Gabriel could remember, besides being her secretary, as well as the mansion’s governess, Nathalie had taken up raising Adrien and making sure that he had everything he needed, when he was not around. And it was not just Nathalie whom he was thankful to. Since the first day he took her under his wing as a second secretary and apprentice, Nina had also become like a big sister to Adrien, playing with him, whenever she had the opportunity.    

Ringing the doorbell, he waited patiently for Nathalie to come and open the door. By his side was Nina, who had to enter the mansion to leave a few documents with Nathalie, before she could call it a day.

“She’s taking a little to come and answer the door.” -Nina commented with Gabriel, who looked at her.

“I’m sure she has a good reason.” -Gabriel told Nina, when they both heard footsteps behind the door. –“Oh, it must be her.”

Opening the door, Nathalie greeted her boss and her colleague with a smile. But this smile was not the usual smile she had, when greeting people. Her smiled looked a little bit too forced that afternoon, as if something was wrong, and she did not want to admit it.

“Welcome back, sir.” -Nathalie said, as Gabriel and Nina entered the mansion.

“Good afternoon, Nathalie.” -Gabriel told her.

“You seem a little tense, Nathalie, is there something wrong?” -Nina asked her. As always, the young designer/secretary did not have the same decorum as Nathalie, and instead of waiting for the right moment to approach her, she went ahead and asked if everything was fine with her.   

“Uh, y-yes, everything’s fine, Nina.” -Nathalie answered her, with the same forced smile on her face. –“ _I just hope this works, otherwise, I’ll be looking for another job in the morning._ ” -she thought to herself.

_(Flashback)_

_When Adrien arrived home and asked Nathalie if he could talk to her. She asked him if it could wait a little bit, because she had to finish organizing some documents, but he told her that it was urgent. Hearing him say that, Nathalie stopped what she was doing and sat down to talk to him. It did not take long for Adrien to explain to her what was on his mind, and for her to understand why he wanted to talk to her so urgently._

_“Adrien, are you sure you want to do this?” –Nathalie asked him._

_“Yes, Nathalie. I think that if I show my dad and my aunt what I found, the two of them will stop fighting one another and bury the hatchet once and for all.” -Adrien answered her._

_“And when do you want to do that? Tomorrow? After tomorrow, maybe?” -Nathalie asked him._

_“Today.” -Adrien answered with a serious look on his face._

_“T-Today?!” -Nathalie exclaimed, shocked with Adrien’s answer. –“Adrien, today’s impossible…” -she told him._

_“Nathalie, please, listen to me. I don’t know how long my aunt is staying in Paris, and I don’t want to lose the opportunity of mending things between her and my dad.” -Adrien explained her. –“It could take years until she comes back, for all I know. That’s why it has to happen today.”_

_“Adrien… I understand that you feel like you need to do this, but rushing things isn’t the way to go.” -Nathalie told him. –“Why don’t we try and do this in maybe a day or two? You know, try to prepare for every eventuality?” -she suggested him._

_“Nathalie, I understand what you’re trying to say and you’re right. But like I said, I don’t know just how long my aunt’s going to stay in Paris. For all we know, she could already be packing her bags, or on her way to the airport, as we speak.” -Adrien told her. –“Please, I don’t want to be always sneaking out to see her, just because my dad doesn’t want me to see her anymore. Help me do this, and I promise you that I’ll never ask you another favour for as long as I live, Nathalie. Please!” -he begged her, while looking her in the eyes._

_Looking at Adrien’s green eyes, Nathalie could see the boy’s determination mirrored in them. She had seen that same determination in Adrien’s eyes more than once, over the years, and knew that when that happened, nothing in the world could stop him from achieving what he had set himself to do. Knowing that, Nathalie just smiled at him, the same she always did when she agreed to anything, he asked of her._

_“You don’t have to promise me anything, Adrien. And you can ask for a favour, whenever you need… as long as it doesn’t get you into trouble.” -Nathalie smiled, while talking with a heart-warming voice. -“Now, tell me, what do you need me to do?” -she asked him._

_“I just need you to pretend that there’s nothing wrong, when my dad arrives, and when he does arrive, you tell him that I’m in his study and that I want to talk to him.” -Adrien declared. –“I’m going to call my aunt and tell her that I want to talk to her, and that my dad travelled to London or Berlin for a business meeting, or something, which will led her to believe that she can stay for as long as she want, without risking meeting him.” -he explained her, his plan. –“Once I get them both in the study, I’ll show them something that will force them to admit that neither one of them is responsible for my mom’s death.”_

_“And are you sure it will work?” -Nathalie asked him._

_“It will, Nathalie. It has to.” -Adrien declared, as he took out his cell phone and showed her a photo of the friendship bracelets, he and Marinette had found on the attic, along with the letter written by his mom. He had forgotten to show them to Nathalie. –“You see these? These bracelets were going to be a present for my dad and my aunt, from my mom, because she wanted them to stop fighting one another. I’m hoping that by showing them the bracelets and the message that’s in my mom’s letter, that they finally bury the hatchet and stop hating each other.” -he said._

_There was no doubt it was a good plan, or at the very least, a reasonable plan. And Nathalie, who was not the kind of person to go in crazy plans, felt that that plan that Adrien had come up with, had a real chance to work._

_“I sincerely hope it works. After all, your aunt is part of your family, and you should be allowed to see her, whenever you want to, and vice-versa.” -Nathalie smiled at Adrien. –“You can count me in.” -she said. –“But before we begin, tell me, have you eaten anything after lunch?”_

_“Well… I…” -Adrien stuttered a little. He had eaten a bunch of cookies with a few cups of tea, courtesy of Master Fu. But he could not tell that to Nathalie. –“… not really.” -he lied._

_“I thought so. Come along, I’ll ask the chef to make you something tasty for you to snack on. You can’t go ahead with this plan on an empty stomach.” -Nathalie giggled._

_(End of flashback)_

Nathalie tried to remain calm, knowing that up in Gabriel’s studio, Adrien was with his aunt. When Adrien told her his plan, she believed that it would work. But now that Gabriel had arrived, she was beginning to have second thoughts regarding it. 

“Where’s Adrien?” -Gabriel asked Nathalie, was feeling more nervous by the minute.

“H-He’s in your study. He said he wanted to practice the piano a little bit, before dinner time.” -Nathalie told him.  

“Very well. I’ll go see if he’s practicing it correctly or not.” -Gabriel declared, as he made his way towards the stairs.

Seeing her boss going up the stairs, Nathalie’s heart stopped for a split-second, as she began to imagine what was going to happen, once he saw his sister-in-law in his studio, talking to Adrien. No matter how much she tried, she could not imagine a peaceful outcome to that, even though she had complete trust in Adrien and his plan. Fear had taken over her mind, and if it was not for Nina, who brought her back to earth, Nathalie would keep thinking about everything that could go wrong in the following minutes between Gabriel and Elodie.

“Nathalie? Nathalie?! Nathalie are you listening to me?!” -Nina called her out.

“W-What? Oh, yes, I’m sorry, Nina.” -Nathalie apologized to her. –“You were saying?”

“I was saying that I’ve got these documents here for you. They have to be digitized and sent to Mr. Agreste’s office in Madrid, urgently. They’ll need them first thing in the morning.” -Nina told her, as she opened her briefcase and handed them to Nathalie.

“Very well, I’ll be sure to take care of that.” -Nathalie said, as she grabbed the documents.

“Something’s wrong with you. You don’t look like your usual self.” -Nina told Nathalie. –“Are you feeling well? Maybe you’re beginning to run a cold.” -she said.

“Oh, probably… the weather we’re having.” -Nathalie said, trying to make conversation, and trying to keep Nina downstairs. Usually, once she left her anything that needed to be left with her, she would go home. But on that day, it seemed like she had decided to stay and chat with her.  

* * *

Going up the stairs, Gabriel heard the piano being played, and the melody coming from it was ever quite familiar. Fur Elise. Adrien was practicing it again, and quite well. But that was not the only thing he heard. Gabriel also heard a voice, and wondered who it was. Did Adrien invited one of his friends to spend a couple of hours with him? If that was the case, Nathalie would have warned him. Approaching the studio’s doors, he listened to the voice, trying to figure out who it might be. Listening to it, he saw it was a female voice, but this one sounded too old to be the voice of any girl he was friends with. And then, he recognized it; it was his sister-in-law’s voice. Out of the blue, feelings of rage took him over. He did not know if he was angrier because his son had ignored his order, or because his sister-in-law was in his house, talking to his son. Bursting open the doors, he made both Adrien and Elodie almost jump out of their skins. 

“What are you doing here?!” -Gabriel asked Elodie, as he entered hi studio, upset with her presence.

“What am I doing here?! And what about you?! Adrien told me that you were in a business meeting!” -Elodie shouted back at Gabriel, who was clearly not happy to see her there. 

“In a business meeting?! Adrien, what is the meaning of this?!” -Gabriel asked his son, clearly upset. –“I thought I told you that you were never to see this woman ever again!” -he shouted at Adrien, who remained silent. –“And you still haven’t told me what you’re doing here, Elodie!”

“I came because Adrien said he wanted to talk to me. You may be the owner of this house and everything in it, but your son isn’t something you can just order around! If he wants to talk to me, he’s in his right!” -Elodie shot back at Gabriel.

“You are not welcome in this house, and you know why, Elodie. Now, please, leave immediately. I need to talk to my son, alone.” -Gabriel told her, determined to see her out of there, and the sooner the better.

“I’m not going anywhere, Gabriel. Especially if you tend to punish Adrien.” -Elodie declared with a cold voice, giving Gabriel the impression that she was not going to allow him to slap or otherwise, hit Adrien. 

“What are you saying?! I have never lifted a hand against my son!” -Gabriel declared. And it was the truth. Gabriel loathed violence and he condemned any man or woman who would lift a hand against a loved one. –“I’m just going to have a serious conversation with him.” -he said.

“Be as it may, I’m not going anywhere, unless Adrien wants me to, you hear me?! This house is as much his as it is yours, and if he wishes for me to stay, I will stay!” -Elodie said, standing her ground.  

All that shouting and screaming, had attracted uninvited guests like Nathalie, Nina and Gorilla, who quickly went up the stairs to see what was going on. Noticing them there, Gabriel turned to Nathalie, to see what she had to say about what was going on. 

“Nathalie, what’s the meaning of this? Why did you let this woman enter?”

“Sir, I…” -Nathalie tried to answer, when Adrien interrupted her.

“Don’t blame Nathalie, dad, please!” -Adrien exclaimed. He had remained silent until that point, but seeing his father confronting Nathalie like that, he knew he had to say something, to keep her out of trouble. –“This is all my doing. I forced Nathalie to help me.” -he said.

“ _I wouldn’t want to be Nathalie, right about now._ ” -Nina thought to herself. If there was one thing that over the years, she had learned was to try everything possible, to avoid getting mixed up in other people’s personal problems, something which Nathalie had just done, by the look of it.  

“Help you with what, Adrien?” -Gabriel asked his son, trying to understand what he was talking about. From the sound of his voice, you could see that he was still incredibly upset with all of that.

“With getting both of you in the same room.” -Adrien answered his father. The plan had worked, although he did not expect that much yelling from his father.

“Getting us in the same room? Adrien, what are you talking about?!” -Elodie asked her nephew.

“I have something to show you both. Something that should have been given to you a long time ago” -Adrien said with a determined voice.

After he said that, he got up from the piano bench and went to the far corner of the studio, where he had placed the box with bracelets. All the while, Plagg was watching the whole thing through the vent, and wondering if that plan of Adrien’s would work or not.

“That kid has guts; I’ll give him that. Having the nerve to go against his dad’s orders about never seeing his aunt again… it’s times like this that Adrien still manages to surprise me.” -Plagg said. –“ _And I hope this works, because if it doesn’t, three things will happen. First, his father’s going to forbid him from seeing his aunt ever again… this time, with consequences. Second, he’s going to be grounded for a very long time. And third, he’ll probably never allow him to leave this mansion for the rest of his life, not even to go to school. He’ll be home-schooled._ ” -he thought, as he watched Adrien making his way towards the middle of the studio with the box on his hands.

An eerie and tense silence filled Gabriel’s studio; a silence so tense that one could cut it with a knife. And as Adrien placed the box with the bracelets on top of the coffee table, the tension rose even further, with both Gabriel and Elodie asking themselves what was going on there. Sighing, Adrien looked the two of them in the eyes, knowing he only had a shot at that, and that he could not screw it up.   

“Dad, you and aunt Elodie blame each other for what happened to mom, and you have been doing it for far too long.” -Adrien declared, as he looked them in the eyes. –“You blame her for mom’s death, and she blames you for her death, and that has to stop.” -he said. –“And when I say it has to has to stop, I mean that it needs to stop, today.”

Neither one of them said a word, which gave Adrien the confidence to proceed. And so he would not lose sight of what he had to tell them, the teenager thought about his mother and just how much he missed her, hoping that by channelling that very same feeling into his words, that both his father and his aunt realized just how wrong all of that was, and how things needed to change.

“I know that you think you both have reasons to hate each other, because of all that happened. But you need to admit that what happened to her was an accident, and it was no one’s fault. It just happened. Plus, I also know something else. I know that this is not what mom would have wanted.” -Adrien said in a serious tone. –“She wouldn’t want us to be fighting, and I’m pretty sure that she wouldn’t want her husband and her sister to spend their time fighting, instead of coming to terms with what happened.” -he went on, while trying to withhold the tears. In his heart, he felt that if he began crying then, he would not be able to stop crying. –“And she had a plan to make you stop fighting, once and for all… with these.”

Opening the box, Adrien revealed its contents to both his father and his aunt. Inside the box were the two bracelets, one made of gold, the other made of white gold. Both of them were Emily Agreste’s last gift for her husband and her sister, and if it had not been for Adrien, who just like her, wished for the two of them to get along, that box and its contents would have remained lost in the mansion’s attic, failing to fulfil its purpose.     

“Mom ordered these a few months before she died. It was a present that she was going to give to both of you, on her birthday, because all she wanted was for you two to get along. That was the birthday present she really wanted that year.” -Adrien said, trying not to burst into tears. The more he thought about how selfless his mother was being, when she ordered those bracelets, the harder it was to withhold the tears. Still, he carried on. –“And she also left this letter, which I think you should read.” -he said, as he handed the letter to both his father and his aunt.

Opening the letter, both of them read the letter, and could not help but to read it with Emily’s voice in their minds. Neither one, nor the other said a word, but words were not needed for that moment, because their eyes spoke for the two of them. While reading the letter, tears of sadness and sorrow began to run down their faces. It felt like Emily was there with them, right then, speaking the words that were on the letter and acting like the voice of conscience.    

“Now you understand why I brought you two here? Why I had to ask Nathalie to help me? Because, that’s what mom would want, and that’s also what I want. I don’t want our family to grow apart anymore… aunt Elodie told me what you two did to me, so I could be happy. I understand why you did it… you wanted me to be happy, so you wiped the bad things off my mind. But now that I’ve remembered everything, I don’t want to forget them, because they are a part of our family’s history. They’re a part of me, and it’s like they say, you can’t be happy without experiencing a little pain and suffering, because that’s how you learn the difference between happiness and sadness.” -Adrien said, as he finally allowed himself to shed a couple of tears. –“We can’t bring mom back, but we can honour her, by trying to fulfil her last wish, which was for you two to finally start to get along, and with it, for us to be a family.” -he said, as the tears kept rolling down his face.

After that speech of his, Adrien did not know if his words, combined with the words on his mother’s letter had produced the desired effect or not. But it did not take long for him to see that it had worked, when his father approached him, still holding Emily’s letter, and placed his arms around his son and hugged him, with Elodie doing the same.    

“She would have been so proud of you right now, Adrien.” -Gabriel told his son, without breaking the hug.  

“I know I said it before, but I’ll say it once again, you’re just like your mom.” -Elodie declared, as she gently caressed Adrien’s hair. –“She would really be proud of you right now, not only because of what you did, but because of the young man that you’re turning into.” -she sniffed.

“D-Does this mean I’m not in trouble for architecting all of this?” -Adrien asked, hoping the answer would be a no.

“No, you’re not. And neither is Nathalie.” -Gabriel said, as he turned his head to the left and looked at his secretary, who smiled after hearing him.

“You proved to be more responsible and more adult than us adults, who allowed hate to cloud our judgement, blinding us from what was going on… that we were hurting you, when we shouldn’t.” -Elodie admitted, being proud of her nephew, more than ever.    

Such a heart-warming scene was enough to make anyone cry, or at the very least shed a tear. And that’s what happened with Nathalie, Nina and Gorilla, who had been watching the whole thing from the door.   

“Gabriel… I… I am sorry.” -Elodie apologized to him. –“I admit, that ever since we met, I was never your biggest fan. I couldn’t understand what Emily saw in you, that made her fall in love with you… but from the two of us, Emily was always the one who saw things as they were with her heart, and not with her eyes, and if she chose you, then she saw something that I couldn’t.” -she went on. –“And I guess that I was always a bit jealous of having to share her with you, especially when you got married… what I’m trying to say here is that I shouldn’t have blamed you for what happened to her. You just wanted your wife by your side on that dinner, because she was always there to support you, and you felt you needed her more than ever back then.”   

“Well, I… I admit that I wasn’t your biggest fan when we first met either. It was hard for me to understand just how different you were, and still are, from Emily. And then, you were always taking her on those crazy archaeological adventures, which I did not approve of, because I was too stubborn to understand that you were just trying to spend some quality time with her. After all, she was your sister… I’m sorry. I should have never blamed you for what happened to her, as I should have never ignored your warnings when you told me that she should have waited to come back, because of the storm.” -Gabriel said. –“We’re both to blame for what happened, you and I.” -he admitted.

With those words said, brother-in-law and sister-in-law hugged for the very first time in many years. And by doing it, they both felt like a weight had been lift from both their chests and their shoulders. You could say that they had finally come down to terms with what happened to Emily; that there was no one to blame for what happened to her, but more importantly, they had finally understood that blaming each other for what happened to her would not solve anything or bring her back. The wall that had been erected between the two of them for what looked like an eternity had finally collapsed. And the only thing they needed for that to happen was for Adrien to tell that to their faces, without fearing repercussions.    

“I guess even from beyond the grave, Emily still watches over us all.” -Elodie said, as a few more tears ran down her face, with her wiping them with a handkerchief she took from her purse.

“I guess she does.” -Gabriel agreed with her, as they broke the embrace. –“From now on, the door to this house will always be opened for you… and you can come and visit Adrien as many times as you want to.” –he said. –“It’s what Emily would want, as well as what Adrien wants… and with that, it’s also what I want.”

“I think that I will take you on that offer. Every time I’m in Paris, I’ll be sure to come by for a visit.” -Elodie declared, as she wiped the last of her tears. –“Does that sound good to you, Adrien?”

“Absolutely.” -Adrien smiled at Elodie, before turning to his father. –“By the way… can aunt Elodie stay for dinner, dad? I kind of went ahead and asked the chef…”

“Of course, she can.” -Gabriel answered his son, with a smile on his face. Looking at him, Adrien could not remember the time when his father had smiled for so long. –“Nathalie, set another plate at the table, tonight, please.”

“Very well, sir.” -Nathalie asserted with her head. Deep down in her heart, she was happy that even with all the yelling and screaming, everything turned out fine in the end.   

But they were not the only ones who were happy with all that. Up in the vent, Plagg, who had been watching the whole thing was both happy and surprised that Adrien’s plan had worked even better than he had anticipated.

“That kid… he did it. He actually managed to mend things between his stubborn father and his aunt.” -Plagg said. –“I’m not usually the kind of kwami who makes these observations, but I think that more and more, that in the future, this kid is going to do great things, with or without my miraculous.” -he smiled.


	27. Epilogue

Dinner went without a single hitch, and when Elodie left, she promised both Gabriel and Adrien to see them in two days, on the day of Emily’s death, so they could go to the cemetery together and place flowers on her grave. But Adrien, who had so many questions to ask her about his mother, knowing that Elodie, would be able to answer them better than anyone else, asked her if she would like to meet up the following day, so they could continue to talk. Unfortunately, Elodie had some businesses to take care of the following day, stating that she needed to resolve them, before leaving for Egypt the day after the anniversary of Emily’s death, and such a meet would have to be postponed to another day.

Still, knowing that from that moment on, the mansion’s doors would always be open for his aunt, made Adrien feel less sad about not being able to spend part of the next day with her.

“We’ll have plenty of opportunities from now on. And I promise you, that every time I come to Paris, I’ll always make time to be with you.” -Elodie said. –“Plus, you have my phone number. You can always call me, whenever you feel like talking to me. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” -she smiled to him.  

Those words from Elodie got stuck into Adrien’s brain, as he said goodbye to her, after which he decided to go to his bedroom. Upon entering, he went to check his cell phone, which was resting on top of his desk. Grabbing it, he saw that he had numerous texts sent by his friends, asking him if everything had gone according to plan, or not. Reading them one by one, he could not help but to smile, giving graces for having such great friends who cared about him and his well-being; and more importantly, who had volunteered to help him out, if he needed. Thinking about everything that happened on that day, he felt like the luckiest teenager in the world, or at least, in all of Paris.

“Everything went okay. I’ll tell you everything, tomorrow in school.” -Adrien texted them all the same message.

* * *

The clock stroke one in the morning, and Adrien could not sleep. Everything that happened during that day, had left him unable to sleep a wink. And on top of it, he could not stop thinking about how he had managed to fulfil his mom’s last wish, which in turn, made him think about her and just how much he missed her. Tossing and turning in his bed, he tried his best to fall asleep, especially because he knew that he had to get up and go to school in a couple of hours. But eventually, he gave up. Annoyed by what was going on, he got out from under the covers, with the intention of doing something other than just lying on the bed, and accidentally woke up Plagg, who was asleep on his bedside table. 

“W-What are you d-doing? Can’t sleep?” -Plagg asked Adrien, with a slightly groggy voice.  

“Sorry, if I woke you up, Plagg.” -Adrien apologized to his kwami. He did not mean to wake him up. 

“It’s okay… sleeping is for sissies, anyway.” -Plagg commented, as he yawned. –“Why couldn’t he be a little more careful? I was having such a lovely dream where I was in a tall mountain, which was entirely made out of Camembert.” -he thought to himself. –“Anyways, like I was saying, you can’t sleep?”

“No, I can’t, Plagg.” -Adrien answered his kwami. –“The adrenaline caused by everything that happened today is still coursing through my veins, and I just can’t sleep.” -he declared, omitting the part that he was thinking about how much he missed his mom.  

“Well, why don’t you go out for a walk? You could even call Marinette and ask her to join you.” -Plagg suggested him, knowing that Adrien would love to have the girl he loved by his side, during the walk.   

“I don’t want to bother her. Besides, it’s late, and we’ve got classes in the morning.” -Adrien said.

“If you don’t to go out, then, why don’t we play a game? You still haven’t let me try to win back the crown of champion of Mario Kart 8.”

The idea was tempting, and with the amount of adrenaline that was still in his veins, Adrien believed that that would give him the advantage, while playing. Still, deep down, he knew Plagg would win him easily, because he would not be able to keep his mind in the game; not when it came to feelings regarding his mother, that were swirling around in his mind. One could describe those feelings as an amalgam of absence, sadness, happiness, nostalgia and melancholy. With those in his head, he knew the black cat kwami would win him for sure. Sighing, he looked out the window and saw just how beautiful the Moon was. There were two things that always reminded him of his mother; the rain and the Moon, especially when it was full.   

“You know what, Plagg? I think I’m going for a stroll. There’s something I need to do.” -Adrien told his kwami. He had decided that a quick sprint on Paris’ rooftops would help him burning enough energy to fall asleep more easily. Plus, there really was something he felt he needed to do before falling asleep.   

“And here I thought I was actually going to get that crown back.” -Plagg sighed. –“ _Who knows, maybe he’ll go to Marinette’s place and finally tell her he loves her… and maybe, just maybe, I’ll finally stop hearing him, saying that he’s mad in love with her, but doesn’t have the courage to propose to her._ ” -he thought to himself. –“Just say the magic words, and let’s go.”

“Plagg, transforme-moi!” –Adrien cried out, turning into Chat Noir.

* * *

The night air felt chilly, as Chat ran across the rooftop of the building he had landed on a couple of seconds before. Usually, when on patrol at night, he would thank for when the nights were that chilly, because it helped him stay awake and alert for any kind of trouble he could find. But on that night, he needed the polar opposite of a chilly night to help him get to sleep.

Hopping from rooftop to rooftop he was trying his best to burn out the adrenaline that was still inside him, while making his way to the place he felt he needed to go to before the night ended, Montmartre Cemetery. In the mid-18th century, overcrowding in the cemeteries of Paris had created numerous problems, from impossibly high funeral costs to unsanitary living conditions in the surrounding neighbourhoods. And In the 1780s, the Cimetière des Innocents was officially closed and citizens were banned from burying corpses within the city limits of Paris. As a result, in the beginning of the 19th century, numerous other cemeteries were constructed outside the precincts of the capital, with Montmartre Cemetery being one of them. Opening in 1825, was initially known as la Cimetière des Grandes Carrières, or Cemetery of the Large Quarries, with the name referencing the cemetery's unique location, an abandoned gypsum quarry, which had previously been used during the French Revolution as a mass grave. Over the course of the following two centuries, it became the last resting place for numerous notable individuals like Dalida, Edgar Degas, Georges Feaydeau, Gustave Moreau and François Truffaut, just to name a few. Their graves had become a popular tourist attraction over the years. And among them there was also one grave, a more recent one that had also become a popular tourist attraction. The grave of Emily Agreste.

When Emily Agreste died, she was one of the most famous movie stars in the world, and living in Paris, most people, including her fans believed that her body would be put to rest in Pere-Lachaise Cemetery, like it happened with most of Paris’ most illustrious residents. But that did not happen. In one of the last decisions they made together, before Elodie decided to cut ties with Gabriel, the two of them decided that they did not want Emily’s grave to be a popular tourist attraction, especially since they did not want to have any tourist disturbing them when they were to visit it. So, from all of the cemeteries in the centre of Paris, they chose the one that attracted less tourist. At first, Gabriel wanted to build a mausoleum inside the mansion, but abandoned the idea, when thinking about how that would affect Adrien. So, in the end, Emily was buried in Montmartre Cemetery. From the lots that were available, they chose the one they felt was the best, one that was near a century-old oak tree. And on that night, that grave was going to receive the visit of Chat Noir, who felt like he needed to talk to someone about what happened that day, and of what was going on in his head.           

Landing on the Rue Caulaincourt viaduct, which passed through the cemetery, Chat Noir climbed onto the viaduct’s railing and looked over the cemetery, to see if there were any night watchmen around. He did not have any problem in running into one, but if possible, he wanted to avoid them. He did not want to lose his time explaining what he was doing there. Not seeing any, he jumped down the viaduct and landed near ne of the graves. It had been nearly a year since he had been there, but to him, it did not feel like it had been that long. Walking between the graves, Chat Noir made his way towards his mother’s grave. When he was little, he was scared of the numerous statues that were on the graves, saying that at night, they probably came to life and walked around the cemetery, making sure that the ghosts of those that had been buried there, would not leave. But now, he was not scared of them. In fact, over the years, he had grown fond of some of them, feeling that they were beautiful and that his mother was lucky to have been buried in a place, with so many beautiful statues. Still, none of those statues could compete with the one that was on Emily’s grave. Sketched by Gabriel himself, the life-size statue depicted his wife lying in a bed, with her eyes closed, and holding a beautiful flower bouquet. The sculptor who sculpted it was the best in Europe, and one of the best in the world, and Gabriel spent no expenses in it, as well as in the decorations of his wife’s grave. On the base of the grave, he ordered that a sentence was carved into the stone: “ _Beauty is everywhere. One only needs to open its heart to see it._ ”, a sentence often said by Emily. And at the base of it, one could see a small black onyx tablet where it was written in golden letters “ _Emily Agreste, Beloved Spouse, Mother, Daughter and Sister_ ”.

Approaching it, Chat could not help but to shed a tear, as he looked at his mother’s grave, which was partially obscured by the shadow casted upon it by the large oak tree near it.  She looked incredibly peaceful, as if she was just lying there, sleeping. Around it were several flower bouquets as well as wreaths, each one more beautiful than the other. These were all presents from Emily’s fans, who upon visiting her grave, left them as a sign of both admiration and respect. Looking at them, the feline hero was happy to see that people still revered his mom. He did not say a word for the next couple of minutes, remaining in silence, trying to gather both the courage and the exact words he wanted to tell her.         

“Hey, mom.” -Chat Noir finally spoke, while waving at the stone statue of Emily. –“It’s me, Adrien. I know, I know, you probably don’t recognize me with this outfit and with this mask, but it’s me.” -he continued to talk, as if he was having a real conversation with his dead mother. –“I know that the anniversary of your death is two days away, but I just couldn’t wait to come and pay you a visit.”

Chat continued to talk as if his mother was standing right there in front of them, hearing every last word he had to say to her.

“Aunt Elodie and dad aren’t angry at one another anymore, you know? They finally buried the hatchet this afternoon, when I showed them those bracelets you bought them and that letter. They put them on right away, saying that you had excellent taste in jewellery.” -Chat commented. –“I know you would have loved to see that happening…”-he went on. –“And I really wished you had been there to see it. There were tears, lots and lots of tears, not just from them, but from me as well. Today… Today I think that our house finally stopped being a mausoleum, to become a home once again, you know? I even asked dad to replace the painting of the two of us in the foyer, with the one that was stored in the attic… the one where you’re also in, and where dad’s smiling, and he said that he would ask Gorilla to do that tomorrow… I’m even a little afraid that all of this that has been happening is just a dream, and I’ll wake up to realize it was just that.”

The whole idea of everything that happened being just a dream scared the feline hero. Still, deep in his heart, he knew that the idea of it being just a dream was foolish. Dreams tend to be illogical, even the most lucid ones have something in them that helps people to differentiate dreams from reality, and there were no indications of all of that being a dream. Trying to get that thought from his mind, Chat decided to change the subject.   

“But, changing the subject, you’re probably wondering about the outfit, right?” -Chat Noir asked. –“Well, long story short, my friends and I, we were chosen to be the protectors of Paris… we protect the city from this crazy psycho who wants to conquer the world. We got awesome powers and I think you would be really proud of me, like you always were. In fact, I think you would be proud of not only me, but everyone else on the team as well.” -he said, as he remembered some of the times Emily told him she was incredibly proud of him, after one of his many accomplishments as a child. –“You always told me that the most important thing in life, besides family, is friends, and I guess I hit the jackpot with all of them. I really wished you were still here to meet all of them… well, you already knew Chloe, because she was always visiting our house when we were little, but the others, I think you would like them all, because… well, I know this is really cliché, mom, but they have become like a second family to me, mom. They are friends whom I would give my life for, and they would do the same for me, in a heartbeat.”

He kept talking about each one of his friends, saying what he liked about them, what he did not like about them sometimes, while repeating himself about how lucky he was to have met them and all of the things they had gone through, ever since he met them. And as he talked, he remembered about some things that he had forgotten about his friends, and which he believed his mother would like to hear more about.  

“And that’s mainly the reason why my music taste has improved over the years. Nino makes sure that I listen to the best music there is. And finally, there’s Marinette… she’s, well, she’s amazing. She’s smart, she’s beautiful, she’s sweet, she’s incredibly talented, she’s got these really beautiful blue eyes… mom, I’m in love with her, but I can’t find the courage to tell her that.” -Chat sighed. –“I admit that I’m a little scared about the idea that she might not see me as more than just a friend, but that’s not the main reason why I can’t tell her how I feel. I’m just shy. I pretend that I’m not shy when I’m on the runway wearing one of dad’s clothes, and when I’m wearing this outfit and this mask, because I feel that they help me to conceal that shyness. When I wear them, I don’t feel shy, I feel like being someone else. I mean, I could do tell her how I feel about her when I’m Chat Noir, but I don’t want that. I want to tell her how I feel, without wearing a mask.” -he kept sighing.

And that was the reason why he had come to visit his mother’s grave that night. Chat Noir wanted to tell her all about what he had been doing and about his friends and all their adventures, but most importantly, he was seeking guidance from her, or as most guidance one could get from a dead person, to profess his love to Marinette.

“Mom… I know you can’t really help me, but, I’ve always believed that there’s an afterlife, and after seeing all the things that I’ve seen, I believe in it even more, and if you are there, and you think I should gather every last bit of courage that I have in me and  tell Marinette how I feel, could you send me a sign?”

Chat Noir was not expecting that to work, even if deep inside his heart, he hoped for something to happen that he deemed a sign from his dead mother. But something did happen, something he was not expecting. From behind him, he heard a meowing. Slowly turning around, the feline hero saw a black cat staring at him. The cat looked a little feral, like a street cat, but unlike most street cats, upon being seen, it did not run away. Instead, it just stood there, tilting its head to the left, as if waiting for  

“Hey, there.” -Chat Noir greeted the feline. –“What are you doing here, kitty?” -he asked the cat, as it approached him, rubbing itself against his left leg. –“Don’t tell me you’re the cemetery’s guard? Because if you are, well, I think that you have caught me trespassing.”

Meowing again, the cat made its way towards Emily’s grave, jumping on it, curling itself near the statue’s feet. Smiling, Chat Noir approached the cat, thinking that it would run away this time, but it did not. Instead, it just stood there, waiting for the miraculous hero to come near it.

“Oh, I get it, you like to hang out near my mom’s grave, don’t you? Well, you got good taste. My mom was always a cat person.” -Chat Noir told the cat, as he kneeled in front of the feline, and petted him on the head, making it purr. –“ _I don’t know if this is the sign I was asking of you, mom, but I’ll take it._ ” -he thought to himself, smiling, while continuing to pet the cat. –“ _I will think of a way to tell Marinette how I feel about her, I promise you._ ”

When he finally stopped petting the cat, Chat Noir felt it was time to go back home, knowing that he would be back in just two days to visit his mother’s grave, this time accompanied by his father, his aunt, and most likely Nathalie, Nina and Gorilla.

“You keep an eye on my mom’s grave, okay? Would you do me that favour? From one feline to another?” -Chat Noir asked the cat, who meowed back at him. –“Thanks, I knew I could count on you.” -he smiled, as he got back –“Us, black cats have got to stick together, am I right?”

Taking a last look at his mom’s gave, Chat Noir could not help but to become a little emotional.

“See you later, mom, and thanks. Loved to talk to you, as always.” -Chat Noir smiled, as a tear ran down his cheek.          

* * *

The following morning, the weather seemed to have decided to play a prank on everyone in Paris. While the day before it was sunny and clear skies, that one saw the skies completely clouded, accompanied by some really strong winds, which were making the still naked trees to wave their branches like crazy. It was the kind of day you would expect to see in the winter, but never really want, unless you have to stay at home. Unfortunately, that would not be the case with Marinette Dupain-Cheng, who was running late for school, because she failed to hear her alarm clock, and also because Tikki also fell asleep and did not wake her up.

“Do you have everything you need?” -Tikki asked Marinette, as she jumped inside the girl’s backpack.

“I think so, Tikki.” -Marinette said, as she put on her backpack and grabbed her umbrella. The last thing she wanted was to get wet, if it started to rain. –“I’ve got everything, except for breakfast.” -she said. –“I’ll have to grab a croissant from the showcase downstairs.”

But she was not only one who was late for school that day. Nathaniel had also overslept and as he exited home, he hoped that it would not start to rain, before he got to school. All because he couldn’t find his sketch folder to put his sketchbook on, and had to carry it on his arms, due to not having any more space in his backpack, which by all means, was quite small.  

“That’s what you get for having such a small backpack, Nathaniel.” -Mulan told him, as they entered the elevator and Nathaniel pushed the button to go down.

“It’s not my fault my mom thinks I don’t need a bigger one.” -Nathaniel answered him.

“What does she think you are? 6 years old? Because anyone can see that a young man such as yourself, needs a bigger backpack, especially when you need to put in all your books, your gym clothes and your sketchbook.” -Mulan commented.  

“Well, try and explain that to her.” -Nathaniel answered Mulan, as they kept going down, on their way to the building’s foyer.

“I would, if I could. Remember, nobody should know about my existence, other than you and the rest of your friends.” –Mulan said.

“And Manon, don’t forget about her.” -Nathaniel told his kwami.

“Yes, and Manon, I haven’t forgotten about her.” -Mulan sighed. –“The point is, your mom or your dad can’t see me. So, it has to be you to convince either one of them to get you a new backpack, one where you can fit your sketchbook, when you’re also taking your gym clothes to school in it.” -he commented. –“And while we’re at it, one where I can move a bit more freely. If I have to ride hidden inside it, then I would like to, at least, be able to float around, without bumping into your books, or your smelly gym sooks.”

“Hey! My gym socks aren’t that smelly!” -Nathaniel shot back at Mulan.    

“Yes, they are. You just don’t say that, because you don’t have to smell them up close, Nathaniel.” -Mulan told him. –“Oh, here’s another idea, why don’t you buy a new backpack yourself?” -he suggested.

“I would, if I had the money. I spent most of my savings on that new tablet that’s going to come out in a couple of weeks, not to mention those new Caran D’Ache colouring pencils the other week.” -Nathaniel declared. –“Between those two things and a couple of snacks I bought, I’m pretty much broke.”

“I miss the days when people would pay tribute to you heroes. Back then, you would never see a miraculous hero hungry or without a dime on his pocket. People would give you things, to show you just how much they appreciated your work.” -Mulan declared. –“Of course, all the heroes would always refuse things that they felt were too valuable for them to keep, and that’s a good thing. But they would never say no to a plate of food or one or two copper coins… I really miss those days.” -he sighed.  

“Well, too bad that doesn’t happen anymore, but you know what? Even if people paid us for saving the city, I hardly believe we would get a cent, after the taxes.” -Nathaniel joked, as the elevator stopped. –“Now, let’s get going. I don’t want to arrive late.”

* * *

Arriving both at the same time, Marinette and Nathaniel greeted each other with an awkward smile, like they always did when they were running late. They could not remember why they began doing that when they began arriving late together at time, but it was something they always did when this happened, which was more often than one could imagine.

“Good morning, Nathaniel.” -Marinette smiled at him.

“Good morning, Marinette.” -Nathaniel smiled at her. –“Let me guess, Tikki fell asleep and you didn’t hear your alarm ringing.” -he joked.  

“Yup. And let me guess, the same thing happened to you?” -Marinette asked him.

“Ditto.” -Nathaniel said, as they began going up the stairs. –“I guess we didn’t start the morning with the right foot.” -he said, while entering the school.  

“Well, it can only get better from now on.” -Marinette said, with a cheerful smile on her face. –“And look on the bright side, we already did our warm-up exercises, and we’re ready for gym class. Plus, we still have three minutes until the bell rings.” -she declared.

“Yeah, at least we won’t need to warm-up.” -Nathaniel said, when he noticed his shoelaces were untied. Stopping, he kneeled to tie them, while placing his sketchbook down. –“Go ahead, I’ll catch you in a minute.” -he told Marinette.

“Okay, I’ll be over there, with the rest of class.” -Marinette said, as she continued to walk to where the rest of the class were.

Not wanting to waste much time, Nathaniel quickly tied his shoelaces, giving them a double knot. He was about to get up, when someone went against him, knocking him into the ground. Although Nathaniel hit the ground, the person who went against him did not fall like he did. Looking up, Nathaniel saw who he had bumped into. At first, he thought it was a girl, but a second later, he saw that it was actually a boy. He was of average height and had a somewhat feminine appearance, with messy black hair, jade green eyes with visible lashes, thick eyebrows, pink lips, and a slender face with a pointed chin. He was wearing a red hooded jacket with white drawstrings and a white section on the back of the hood, lined with pink material. Underneath it, he was wearing a V-neck tie-dye shirt. On his hands, he was wearing black fingerless gloves. He was sporting ripped dark grey jeans with silver studs along the pockets and around the waist with a silver buckle, and black boots. Nathaniel noticed that he had his nails painted black and that he was wearing a black choker around his neck. But what he noticed the most were his eyes. Whoever he was, he had the most beautiful green eyes Nathaniel had ever seen in a person. And the more he looked at him, the more he felt his heart melting away.

“S-Sorry, I didn’t see you.” -the boy said, as he helped out Nathaniel get back up. –“Are you okay?” -he asked with a shy voice.

“Y-Yeah, I’m okay.” -Nathaniel said, as he got up. –“You don’t have to apologize. I was the one who was not paying attention.”

“N-No, I’m the one who needs to apologize. I really wasn’t paying much attention.” -the boy said with an even shier voice than before. –“I’m new around here, and I’m still

“You’ll get used to it, in no time, I’m sure.” -Nathaniel said, as he kept smiling at him.   

“Well, then… see you around?” -the boy said, as he blushed a bit.

“Definitely.” -Nathaniel smiled, as he walked away.   

As he walked to where Marinette and the others were, Nathaniel could not help but to keep smiling. He had not realized yet, but that mysterious boy had made an impression on him.

“Guess you made a new friend, huh?” -Ivan told Nathaniel, as he leaned against the railing.

“You could say that…” -Nathaniel chuckled a little.

“So, who was he?” -Mylene asked Nathaniel, curious.  

“I… I don’t know. I didn’t ask his name.” -Nathaniel told her. He had completely forgotten about asking him his name.

“You talked to him, and you didn’t even ask his name?” -Alix asked him. –“How could you forget to ask such a thing, Nathaniel?!” -she asked him, incredulous of what she had heard him saying.

“What can I say? I forgot to ask him.” -Nathaniel shrugged his shoulders, while still thinking about just how green the boy’s eyes were.

“Who?” -Chloe asked, as she and Sabrina came back from the restroom. –“Who are you all talking about?” -she demanded to know.

“The boy that accidentally went against Nathaniel.” -Marinette told Chloe.  

“Really? What was he like?” -Chloe asked, now more curious than ever.

“Like this.” -Alya said, as she showed the blonde a photo, she had taken of the boy in question with her cell phone.  

“I’ve never seen him around here before. He must be new.” -Juleka said.   

“Hmm… That’s Marc Anciel. He’s a new student that arrived about two days ago.” -Chloe declared, which made everyone look at her, asking themselves on how she knew about that.   

“And how do you know that, Chloe?” -Alya asked her, while rising an eyebrow at her.

“Well, I’m Chloe Bourgeois, everything that happens in this school, I must know about it… especially when a new student arrives.” -Chloe said, talking in the same manner her old diva persona used to talk with everyone, which made them all chuckle, including her. –“Plus, I may have thought that he was a girl at first, because his face looks really feminine.” -she admitted –“Either way, like I said, from what I was told, I know that he transferred a couple of days ago, and that he’s on Miss Mendeleiev’s class.”

“Miss Mendeleiv’s class, you say?” -Rose asked.

“That’s what I’ve heard. And my sources are usually always right.” -Chloe answered the blonde.

“Have you guys noticed that when a new student is transferred, he or she is always transferred to one of the other classes, but never transferred into our class?” -Max pointed out.

“Now that you mention it, yeah, that never happens.” -Sabrina agreed with him. –“It’s kind of weird.” -she commented.    

“Well, weird or not, it’s a good thing too, because it would be hard for us to keep talking between us, regarding certain subjects, without making someone new to our class feel left out.” -Nino declared.  

“Hmm… Not trying to change the subject or anything, but has anyone seen Adrien?” -Marinette asked, as she looked at the clock, which now marked one minute until the bell rang.   

They all kept discussing why Adrien was running late, when he was usually the first one to arrive, wondering if something happened to him. All, except for Nathaniel, who had his mind elsewhere.

“ _Marc… He looked so handsome. I mean, he looks handsome, but like Chloe said, he has those feminine traces to his face, which makes him kind of cute. I think I’ve never felt this way before… I think… I think I’m in love._ ” -Nathaniel thought to himself, as his usual smile was replaced with an awkward smile; the kind of which a person has when thinking about someone special.        

 

The End… for now.


End file.
